Author Archives: Patrick Cole

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About Patrick Cole

Husband, parent and writer. Sharing stories with a little humor and wisdom along the way.

High Coo – Dec 11 – Love Everything?

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I’m a work in progress with no clear finish line in sight. Yet, I aspire to being and doing better.

Below is my latest senryu and the quote that inspired it.

Today’s senryu: Love Everything?

I know I love you

and animals and plants – but –

purists, not so much

“Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to understand it every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love … Things flow and are indirectly linked together, and if you push here, something will move at the other end of the world.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov as quoted by Richard Rohr in Immortal Diamond (c) 2013, Jossey-Bass, p.159

https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Diamond

https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Karamazov-Bicentennial-Novel-Epilogue

High Coo – Dec 4 – Animal Blessings

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Who blesses who? Who loves who? Who rescues who?

It’s been three days since we said goodbye to Lexie. Today I say hello again and look forward to the day we all will meet in the Pure Land aka Rainbow Bridge.

Below are a couple of quotes from the excellent book Blessing the Animals by Lynn L. Caruso (c) 2006 to comfort us in the meantime.

“The love we give to a pet, and receive from a pet, can draw us more deeply into the larger circle of life, into the wonder of our common relationship to our Creator.” Kevin E. Mackin, OFM referenced on p.23 Blessing for Cats

“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” Albert Schweitzer referenced on p.31 Blessings for Cats

“May all creatures be freed from their suffering. May all creatures be freed from their illness. May those in fear be comforted and those bound be set free.” Buddhist prayer adapted by Lynn L. Caruso Partings p.180

Today’s humble senryu: Lexie

we will not forget

our love for each other – we

will reunite soon

Leezy (with caramel-colored feet) and her sister Lexie (with white feet)

Dec 3 – How to Live When a Loved One Dies

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https://www.parallax.org/authors/thich-nhat-hanh/

“Our loved ones are in us and we are in them. When a loved one dies, a part of us also dies.” p.2

“We are in the habit of identifying ourselves with our bodies. The idea that we are this body is deeply entrenched in us. But your loved one is not just their body; they are much more than that …. The idea that “This body is me and I am this body” is a belief we must let go of. If we do not, we will suffer a great deal. We are life, and life is far vaster than this body, this concept, this mind …. We are not limited to our physical body, even when we are alive. We inter-are with our ancestors, our descendants, and the whole of the cosmos. We do not have a separate self; we are interconnected with all of life, and we, and everything, are always in transformation.” p.100-101

I miss Lexie.

I’m grateful for the reminders Thich Nhat Hanh offers us.

May we all have a peaceful weekend.

Dec 1 – Some Days Are Stone

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Lexie

After fourteen years together, I delivered our beautiful cat, Lexie, to veterinary specialists for a throat scope early this morning. In a few short weeks she had gone from a social, vocal and loving feline companion to a hoarse, weak, barely eating cat choosing to hide from the family.

An x-ray late last week and a CT-scan earlier this week, revealed a mass in her throat. Veterinary specialists advised a throat scope but forewarned us Lexie might not survive the procedure. They told us a throat scope could tell us more about the mass and any possible treatment options.

We were mentally prepared for the worst but still hoped for any good news. Sadly, we were not fully prepared emotionally to hear the final diagnosis and recommendation. The throat scope revealed Lexie had cancer and it had progressed beyond any recommended treatment. They could revive her for a final goodbye, but euthanasia appeared to be the most compassionate next step.

My wife and I returned to say our goodbyes. We petted and hugged her. We apologized for not knowing how to help her earlier than we had. We thanked her for our fourteen years together. We asked her to wait for us at Rainbow Bridge. We told her we would miss her terribly and would place her cremains on our memorial bookcase with other loved ones from our “furever” family.

My wife held Lexie as our beloved feline received two injections into her IV. She was gone almost instantly. See https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/euthanasia-what-expect-and-what-questions-ask-first

Love is hard, grief is hard, and some days are very hard.

CYE Countdown – Dec 2 – National Mutt Day

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What is a mutt? A dog of doubtful pedigree.

What is a pedigree? Recorded ancestry, especially upper-class ancestry, a pure-bred.

What is National Mutt Day? “A holiday that celebrates mixed breed dogs. It is also an unofficial holiday that proclaims that these dogs are as special as their pure-bred counterparts and should be afforded the same love, affection, and respect.

This day should also serve as a reminder that there are millions of mixed breed dogs in shelters all over the United States who are just waiting for a family to take them home and love them.” https://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/national-mutt-day/

Why adopt a mutt versus a purebred? They’ve got the best temperaments.

Most purebreds were bred for specific traits, so they’re likely to have a more extreme personality. Mutts, on the other hand, have a blend of traits from different sources, which often leads to a more mellow mood. In fact, purebred dogs are more likely than mutts to have genetic disorders, including cataracts and hypothyroidism.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-mutt-day/

One more thought for consideration. My father would sometimes smile and with a twinkling eye say: “I’m Irish, English, Scottish and Dutch and a little bit German but not very much.”

Today’s senryu/dogryu: Adopt A Mutt

Now think about it –

what’s your ancestral record?

Mutts should adopt mutts 🙂

CYE Countdown – Dec 1 – Thank You, Sallie McFague

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Today is the first day of the last month of this year. Only 31 more days until the new year. What might we do different this month to end 2022 well and ensure 2023 will be better?

In her Yale University address A New Climate for Theology: God, the World, and Global Warming, Dr. Sallie McFague said, “a different world is possible if we live differently.” Check out the address video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjK4d8ci1e0

Dr. Sallie McFague

A few of my favorite Sallie McFague references are:

“theology is mostly fiction“, but a multiplicity of images, or metaphors, can and should enhance and enrich our models of God McFague, Sallie (1987) Models of God: Theology for an Ecological, Nuclear Age. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, xi

salvation is about salvation of all earthly bodies (not just human ones) and first and foremost about living better on the earth, not in the hereafter McFague, Sallie (1993) The Body of God: An Ecological Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, p. 44

God is the one ‘who judges those who thwart the well-being and fulfilment of her body, our world’ McFague, Sallie (1987) Models of God: Theology for an Ecological, Nuclear Age. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 11

And for more information about this eloquent American feminist Christian theologian, check out her biography here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sallie_McFague

Today’s homage senryu: Thank You, Sallie McFague

speaking truthfully

you clearly said how we could

live differently

May we apply our wisdom more effectively this month.

A New Climate for Christology: Kenosis, Climate Change, and Befriending Nature. Minneapolis: Fortress Press (2021)

High Coo – Nov 24 – Thanksgiving Day Wisdom

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I am thankful for life and for the wisdom to appreciate life. Here are a couple of thoughts that come to mind for me today:

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank You, it will be enough.” Meister Eckhart https://internetpoem.com/meister-eckhart/quotes/

Psalm 92: “It is good to give thanks. Does God need to hear my praise? No, I need to express it. To awaken to wonder, to holiness, to God, I must transcend the ego-centered drama I pretend is life. To shatter pretense, give thanks. Each thank-you reduces the false you. When I give thanks, I embrace others. When I give thanks, I move from drama to play and discover the aliveness that Is when I stop playing God and discover that God is playing me. It is good to give thanks for through thanksgiving awakening lies.” Minyan – Ten Principles for Living a Life of Integrity (c) 1997 Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro http://rabbirami.com/#Perrenial-Wisdom

“Religions are like languages: no language is true or false; all languages are of human origin; each language reflects and shapes the civilization that speaks it; there are things you can say in one language that you cannot say or say as well in another; and the more languages you speak, the more nuanced your understanding of life becomes.” http://rabbirami.com/

My humble senryu: Thanksgiving Day Wisdom

I’m grateful for you,

for us, for all beings and

this day to say THANKS

Three granddaughters with Nonno Photo taken by my daughter Mary

High Coo – Nov 23 – Thankful for My Dog Day

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“Big dogs, small dogs, yappy dogs, fluffy dogs, all kinds of dogs deserve our love and affection every day, but most of all on Thankful for My Dog Day.

In Western society, people highly value dogs because of their characteristics of friendship, protectiveness, loyalty, and affection. Dogs are also widely used in animal-assisted therapy. This type of treatment helps to relieve anxiety, pain, and depression in people with a range of mental or physical health problems.

Show off your dog today. Post photos and videos of your pupper on social media and say how proud you are of them. Also, tell your dog you love them when you’re with other people — animals understand when we’re pleased with them.” https://nationaltoday.com/thankful-for-my-dog-day/

Today’s haiku: Thankful for My Dog Day

In ev’ry season

dogs point out nature highlights –

let’s follow their lead

Here’s a few photos from our household:

Please post photos of your dog(s) below.