Thursday, November 7, 2013

The release of Love




This overwhelms me in the best way:
As meditators, we had prepared for this – how to move the energy up from the belly and into the heart and out through the head. I have never seen an expression as full of wonder as Lou's as he died. His hands were doing the water-flowing 21-form of tai chi. His eyes were wide open. I was holding in my arms the person I loved the most in the world, and talking to him as he died. His heart stopped. He wasn't afraid. I had gotten to walk with him to the end of the world. Life – so beautiful, painful and dazzling – does not get better than that. And death? I believe that the purpose of death is the release of love.
Laurie Anderson, on the death of her husband, musician Lou Reed, via Rolling Stone Magazine
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13 comments:

  1. Vesuvius At HomeNovember 7, 2013 at 7:42 AM

    Oh yes. Heart-stopping. Shivers.

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  2. Alicia DNovember 7, 2013 at 8:00 AM

    Whoa. That give me goosebumps and the best kind of tears. the tears of love and hope and infinite wonder of this great great Universe. Thank you for sharing this, it is something i would have never have come across otherwise. this is why i love your blog. you expose me to so many amazing things i would never read, feel or know :)

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  3. susan t. landryNovember 7, 2013 at 8:05 AM

    thank you so much for this. i am not sure i have ever read anything so reassuring about death.

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  4. AkannieNovember 7, 2013 at 8:46 AM

    I am gobsmacked by this beautiful and reverent end of life event. We should all be so blessed.

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  5. Christy ShakeNovember 7, 2013 at 8:59 AM

    whoa. thank you for sharing. gulp.

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  6. ain't for city galsNovember 7, 2013 at 9:24 AM

    Today Nov 7th is the second anniversary of my dad's passing.....and it was exactly like this. My dad is the bravest man I know and he faced death head on but with peace and a calmness I can only hope to know. We had hospice but did not call our nurse....he had his nine children....my mom...15 grandchildren....10 great grandchildren with him....and he knew he was loved beyond anything. It was a honor and a privilege to be with him as his spirit soared.

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  7. Maggie MayNovember 7, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    I love this and, it makes me think of Carrie. Or anyone who dies violently and suddenly. Is this true for them too?

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  8. Ms. MoonNovember 7, 2013 at 10:50 AM

    I read this early this morning. I thought it was incredibly powerful.

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  9. Alicia DNovember 7, 2013 at 1:12 PM

    Hey there, I had to come back again to read this post that I read earlier this morning. Right before noon today, i got the call that my grandfather died. I needed to read this again. The release of love.... beautiful.

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  10. UnknownNovember 7, 2013 at 1:40 PM

    Thanks. I have passed this on to family. You, Elizabeth, are an interesting woman.

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  11. A Cuban In LondonNovember 7, 2013 at 1:59 PM

    He was unique. That New York drawl. Many thanks, beautiful post.

    Greetings from London.

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  12. GbergerNovember 7, 2013 at 2:24 PM

    Yes - by grace.

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  13. karioNovember 7, 2013 at 7:32 PM

    Gorgeous.

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