Honoring A Dog’s Life

dianeg — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 03:23:57 +0000

The death of a family pet that you have shared life’s ups and downs with for several years is a painful loss. Too often, the people around us don’t express the sympathy that they should for the genuine grief that accompanies this loss. In December, I was able to help a friend prepare to put down her 14-year old golden lab, Taj, who had reached the point when the kind thing to do was to put her to rest. The process of telling Taj’s life story to me — interwoven in the family’s stories — was very helpful to my friend, Taj’s owner. Talking about all the funny and poignant moments she had shared with her dog gave her peace, and an opportunity to celebrate her companion’s life. Based on careful notes on Taj’s story, I wrote a eulogy for Taj, and put it in a simple ceremony that the family could conduct at her burial place. The eulogy for Taj honored her life, and thanked her for all she gave to her family.

A Ceremony for Life’s Transitions

dianeg — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:37:58 +0000

I led a ceremony on November 30 for a woman who had been through several significant transitions in 2012. The ceremony included her walking a labyrinth with symbols of both positive and negative memories that she was carrying. In the middle, she put in a separate box the symbols of things she did not want to carry forward, and these were sealed and put aside. The positive symbols remained with her, to go forward with her in life. I accompanied her walk on harp, as the sun set over the Rocky Mountains.

Empty Nest Ceremony

dianeg — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:20:47 +0000

On December 27, my family gathered with five families whose daughters had grown up together, to honor our families’ transitions to “empty nests”. With the girls heading out into the world, all of us were aware of a transition for the parents as well as our young adult daughters. It was a sweet evening of friendship, including a brief ceremony. Each young woman received a tree, symbolic of her new home, with notes from friends adorning each tree, and a personal note from her parents. Parents received an empty nest, with a note from their daughter, and a heart-shaped stone symbolic of the love always there. The parents, family and friends also blessed those leaving home — an ancient tradition overlooked in our modern western culture. And then there was a celebration, with food and live music. Comments from our guests included, ”I’ve never been to an event like this before.” Why have we lost touch with acknowledging important transitions? Other than weddings and funerals, most of us rarely bring ceremonies into our lives. For the sake of our families, let’s honor and bless those moments when we cross a threshold to a new relationship.

Music for Haiti

dianeg — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 00:29:33 +0000

I’ve been supporting music programs in Haiti for more than five years and felt it was time to visit the country. So at the beginning of November, I traveled to Port-au-Prince with the nonprofit organization Instrumental Change. Five of us flew from Boston, where we picked up several huge bags of instruments, to Miami and then on to Haiti’s capital. We delivered the instruments to Ecole de Musique Ste. Trinite — the music school at Saint Trinity. After distributing the instruments, we observed the music rehearsals for several ensembles, and then had some time to tour the Port-au-Prince area. Yes, the living conditions in Haiti are very sad. And travel there is difficult. But I am very proud to be connected with something so positive as this music school. I commend the staff there, under the Direction of Father Cesar David. They have provided a beacon of hope and a great source of pride to so many children, because the school is well run and the music training is truly excellent. In this picture, my friend Joanna and I are with two of the St. Trinity music students, along with harps. I brought one with me and we found another at the school. It was a wonderful experience to share music with the students. And what is the connection to Lyrical Life Ceremonies? This visit to Haiti was a lesson in living a lyrical life — because the people I met were full of joy and gratitude, no matter their physical surroundings. God bless them all.

Wedding in Estes Park

dianeg — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 04:00:19 +0000

I officiated at the wedding of Kelsey and Phil in Estes Park on October 5th. It was a cold but beautiful day. One of the guests said that the weather reminded her of “the blessing of a thousand mists.” The theme of the ceremony was tied to the location in the Rocky Mountains — which was the location of many happy memories for this couple. I so enjoyed hearing their personal love story and sharing that with their guests. We included Tibetan “singing bowls” and a handfasting ritual in the ceremony, personally designed for this couple. I loved working with Kelsey and Phil and meeting their family. May they have many very happy years together!

Aunt Helen’s Tribute Dinner

dianeg — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:42:59 +0000

We honored Aunt Helen on Sept 22 at a family dinner in Pittsburgh. Family members read her family story, which we divided into her childhood years, her young adult years, and recent years. we all learned things we had never heard before about moments in Helen’s life and the lives of other family members. We wrote notes to Helen and put them on small trees. Our sixth cousin, Sebastian, was visiting the U.S. from Germany and came to the event. He presented a beautiful, hand-drawn family tree of the Gansauer family, extending back to the 1500s. It was such a wonderful surprise for all of us. A favorite moment: seeing Aunt Helen smile and laugh so much, and dance with her nephews to her favorite music.

The Colorado Trail

dianeg — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:09:53 +0000

My friend Penelope and I completed most of segment 8 of the Colorado Trail (CT) this past weekend, from Copper to Camp Hale. This was the most spectacular segment yet. Have you hiked a portion of the CT? Let me know.