Tributes to Kelly Lindsay
Tributes from Healing Circles Langley
Kitty Adams: Kelly’s mind was brilliant, but it was his warm welcome that drew me into HCL. In my raw state after the death of my husband, every time I walked through that door, Kelly greeted me with my name, a big smile, and a warm hug. So began my healing. Kelly was such a good and loving man.
Barbara Terao: What I most remember about seeing Kelly Lindsay at Healing Circles Langley were his hugs and the way he said things. His language during cancer group particularly stays with me. Just as in his CaringBridge posts, Kelly never made anyone or anything his enemy. He was not “at war” with cancer, nor was he trying to beat it. It was not a battle or a competition. His words suggested creative, loving ways to be with our own bodies. This is something I will carry with me throughout my life. I am grateful for all the love and learning from Kelly and Diana.
Bess Granby: Kelly gave the best hugs EVER. He totally engulfed me with his amazing hugs!
Claudia Walker: At Kelly‘s memorial service our local Langley poet laureate Judith Adams said something like, “Now we will all feel what it’s like to have had and now lose our universal healthcare coverage.” That rang true for me as I recalled a moment after Qigong class taught by Diana. Kelly was holding the field for us, meditating while we went through the exercises. After class I walked up to him feeling a bit shy, wanting to connect and thank him for his energy work on behalf of us all. He seemed to sense my shyness, and immediately reached out for my hand and held it making eye contact and smiling at me until my hesitation evaporated. The message I received from Kelly was “You matter. You matter to me and to all. Thank you for reaching out to connect with me.”
Susanne Fest: I loved and admired Kelly’s zest for life, his devotion to family and friends, and his apparently endless energy for driving where the action was, such as family events along the East Coast, exhibits in Portland, weddings in Vermont, and Healing Circle trainings in Long Island. It was remarkable how he continuously made himself available to anticipate or meet the needs of others. Often, after events at HCL, he would smile warmly and say to everyone who lingered: “Have a cup of tea and stay as long as you want.” His wit and insights will likely become legendary. Here is one thing he said to me after I talked about my struggles with the notion of “open-heartedness.” He deadpanned: “Ahhhh, you are just afraid of bleeding out.” How right he was!
Nancy Hepp: Kelly was—and is—an inspiration to me. He modeled how to face difficulty with humor, how to connect with people, and how to give what’s needed in the moment. He was one of those fine people whose face lights up when they first see you, and he did that with everyone. A light in our universe is definitely dimmed with his passing. I trust that the light shines brighter in another dimension now.
Lianna Gilman: For Kelly – with deep gratitude for how you lived your life in service, walking all of us home to love: with your heart-as-big-as-the-sky and laughter and tears and hugs and divine essence made manifest.
Donna Selig: To meet Kelly Lindsay for the first time was to receive a gift of warm gracious welcoming. And thereafter, to know him was a comfort and delight to know that such a kind, thoughtful man who demonstrated such a keen humor and creative intelligence was among us. May the loving light he brought be forever in our hearts.
Kate and Bill Dussault: Kelly’s energy filled the room with compassion, brilliance, and love. May his presence continue to be felt and his influence continue to be shared among all Healing Circle communities and beyond. We will miss your physical being, dear Kelly. Muaaaa!
Tributes from Healing Circles Houston
Becky Dodds: I was thinking this evening about how playful Kelly was, and yet so tender too. His playfulness brings to mind one of my favorite memories of Kelly and David singing Taco Bell Canon—sitting together on the couch with their hands clasped in front of them as they tried to hit the high notes on “fajitas.” There was so much laughter that night. His tenderness reminds me of the last day I saw Kelly. He sat with me as I ate my breakfast and put his hand on mine and talked about how much he liked shaking and dancing. He shared memories it brought up for him, and he shared his gratitude. So lovely and genuine and kind.
Susan Cooley: I’m struck by two memories. My first was when Diana was host and Kelly guardian for the nurse circle at Harmony Hill. The two of them were in complete synchronized harmony, eyes locked while tending to each member of the circle with a light touch.
Then, last year’s Healing Circles gathering at Commonweal. Kelly sleeping on the rim, Diana caring for him. Kelly obviously wanting to allow his love to be fully engaged in the large circle. They were a circle of two, while at the same time being embraced by the larger circle. An awesome thing to observe.
Helen Spaw: I think of Kelly and Diana as who brought me my first real understanding of Healing Circles in the way they presented at my first training, and also in their way of being. He was so smart, funny, inspiring, and truly open to life. He is such a leader in our community—he will be greatly missed and long remembered. I thought I would see him at the next gathering, always with Diana. I loved being in their presence and seeing them together.
Khris Ford: I have no words—only a sense of awe and wonder at the beautiful life that Kelly lived before all of us. He was fearless in his living and loving. I am so very grateful to have shared a very small piece of life with him.
Ed Halloran: What I appreciated most in my experience of Kelly was his strength and courage as expressed in his willingness to be vulnerable. My most powerful memory of this was hearing him share that he always expected to be caring for Diana through the transition process and that he had never thought he might go first.
Freddy Rogers: I never met Kelly in person but there were lots of phone calls and hundreds of emails. There was no limit to his patience when he was helping me get the Houston website not just up, but running smoothly. And he wasn’t just patient—he was an excellent teacher and just so darn nice in every single exchange.
He was instrumental in activating our philosophy and practice for hundreds of people so far away from Whidbey Island. His legacy in Texas lives every day and will do so for many years to come.
Tributes from Callanish
Janie Brown: Dearest Kelly, a man who was never afraid to interrupt a circle by standing up to give someone a hug. I will always remember the feeling of Kelly’s particular kind of loving, as he’d wrap me up in a bear hug and declare his love, unabashedly, sweetly, in ways that always made me feel whole. Kelly, a medicine man, a trickster, a consummate caregiver and a beautiful friend. Thank you for teaching me about love. I will always miss your presence on this earth.
Justine Greene: Kelly was a lovely, strong, rock of a man. The love between Diana and Kelly was one for the storybooks. He will always be a point of reference for me, for the rest of my life, on what love and commitment and honour look like.
Tributes from Commonweal
Michael Lerner: I share the grief our community feels at Kelly’s passing. Kelly’s great spirit will infuse the Healing Circles movement for many years to come.
Kelly was a lover, with a big heart, a generous spirit and a friend to everyone. His ‘zingers’ lightened our load, particularly when relief was needed. He was a reliable and faithful servant, in service to heal the world, one person at a time.
Tributes from Harmony Hill
Gretchen Schodde: Kelly Lindsay was a giant of a man filled with heart, soul, kindness, humor, and love. Kelly and Diana served as visionaries in action with Commonweal to create Healing Circles Langley…the global home for the Healing Circle movement. The Nurse Leadership for Healing Circles team and Harmony Hill were blessed by their mentoring and presentations. Kelly is deeply missed and will be forever in our hearts.
