death

Sam McGee Argues with his Box of Authentic Ashes

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Happy Canada Day, Yukon!

Sam McGee Argues with His Box of Authentic Ashes

It is rumoured that Sam McGee once ran into a young man selling the authentic ashes of Sam McGee, the cremated hero of “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” by Yukon poet Robert W. Service. Amused, he bought them, because how many men could say they bought their own ashes?

I was offered the chance to buy a piece of myself
the other day, and so I did. I came in a small bag,
which I found very saddening and undignified,
so I bought myself a nice hand-carved wooden box—
and I carefully sifted myself into it.

And I wondered, half in morbid amusement,
which part of myself I had purchased—the arms
of a road builder, the bad luck as a gold panner,
the sedate life of a married farmer, a churchgoer.
Was it the best parts of my life, or the worst?

I opened the box to examine myself up close—
to see what kind of man I was—the fine grain of me,
the coarseness, the smell of my life all burned up—

—when I was surprised to hear a voice come from the box—
like an excited street-corner barker. “What a treasure you hold
in your hand! What a great life you have purchased!
A lucky man is he who holds the ashes of Sam McGee!”

“Oh really,” I chuckled. “Tell me about Sam McGee,
this treasure.”

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The Challenge Ahead (after Pope Francis)

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“The Challenge Ahead (after Pope Francis),” Jerome Stueart, (11 x 15), watercolor, mixed media on paper. 4-21-25.

These are pivotal moments in world history. Today, every election seems to either put a weight on the scale for fascism or against it. There is no middle ground, no neutrality, when fascism is expanding. You are in the fight already, either by capitulating to dictators or through doing what you can to block or limit fascism regimes and plans. The Pope is a power position. The Catholic Church must be in the fight against fascism. The world needs them to elect a strong pope who will protect the weak and push back against the powerful.

This is not a sure thing, though. I don’t know if we will get a Pope as centered on the poor, the marginalized, on broadening out the care of the church and pulling back its exclusionary tendencies. But that is the challenge.

Pope Francis was a great pope, but he wasn’t a perfect Pope. Who is? He certainly moved the Catholic Church towards real inclusion and re-centered it on Christ’s mission. He took necessary steps forward. I found hope in his small moves towards full acceptance of LGBTQ individuals, and hope in his condemnation of American fascists, the war in Gaza, and his hands-on approach to leading.

We will need that kind of Pope again, one that progresses Christianity forward, not one that plays politics and power or eases the minds of social conservatives who want to deny rights and inclusion to those who are most hurting in society. We need someone fearless to take on those in power who seek to hurt others. Particularly, we need a Pope who can stand up to dictators and fascist leaders around the world. We can’t have a Pope who capitulates because he is afraid.

Give us a lion — a lion to protect the poor, the immigrant, the marginalized against the wealthy and powerful; a lion who roars mercy, grace and love at those who would condemn and incarcerate those who are different. A lion who condemns instead the practices of fascists and dictators all over the world, and emboldens the people to resist and create change to remake the society into a place that upholds equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion in every way.

One Pope (like one person) can be powerful if they can help empower others for positive change. This is a huge platform where the right person can help change society for the better of all. Pope Francis started that great work. Who will wear those shoes now?

“Consider the Half-Life of Roses”

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“Consider the Half-Life of Roses,” Jerome Stueart, (11 x 15) watercolor, watercolor pencil, mixed media on paper.

A satyr in a painting stops his play to smell the roses again before they are gone. My mother keeps dried roses in the kitchen window, and I know they still hold a beautiful smell. So much of the rose lingers after the rose dies. Roses have a long, long half-life. They don’t have to stay beautiful to hold a room spellbound. They give joy long after they can hold their blooms up, or keep their petals on. Old Roses are the most underestimated, and therefore give the most joy when we stop for a moment and smell them. “Oh, it’s still there.” Proving that their influence lasts so much longer than their lives. For years and years and years to come.

Hope you take time this week to enjoy everything around you.

Grief Counselors Ready for Sunday’s Game of Thrones Finale

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Reoters: [Dayton, Ohio]  Dr. Harold Finnegan says he’s cleared his calendar on Monday and Tuesday as HBO has called him and 27 other local colleagues to be ready for distraught fans of the hit HBO TV series.

“We’ve sorta been warned,” he told us over the phone.  “We’ve each received The Fax,” he said.  He says it like you’d expect someone to talk about a subpoena.

The Fax: Sent by showrunners DB Weiss and Daniel Benioff, the Fax contains what is going to happen on Sunday night’s Finale episode and includes deaths, violence, even the words to “The Rains of Castamere”.  They sent this fax to major cities around the US to prepare for the unprecedented outpouring of grief for at least two beloved characters on the show (and several not so beloved ones).  We were not able to see the Fax ourselves.

“Cincinnati and Columbus and Toledo and Cleveland are prepared as well,” he told us.  “There are hundreds of us who were asked to clear calendars for the whole week.  I was able to ask other clients who had lost loved ones to hold off for another week or so and allow me to take Monday and Tuesday, at the very least, and reserve them exclusively for the fans of this show.

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