Syzygy

In case you're wondering, that's the word for when the sun, earth and moon lie in a straight line, as they did on Wednesday night with our beautiful lunar eclipse (shout-out to Guillermo Oyhenart, Patagonia, for the stunning photo). It's also a STUPENDOUS Scrabble word. :-)

Sometimes, things align in a way that makes a person sit up and take notice.

My good friend Robin Bragge died two years ago today. I recognize that it's easy to idealize those who have gone on ahead to join the Great Cloud of Witnesses, but I'd like to take a minute today to remember what an exceptional person she was. Robin was one of those rare souls who managed to stay in touch with both raucous joy and gentle wisdom in the face of even the most difficult situations. She had a smile like a beacon; it drew all of us to her and lit up our dark places. She spent her life working on peace and understanding on both micro- and macro- levels. Robin was a fierce drummer (all hail CongaGal!), and her New Years' game parties are the stuff of legend. She was an absolute Scrabble FIEND (that's 27 points on a triple-word-score space).

Robin, we still miss you and love you. Thank you for your warm and sustaining friendship, and for the flock of fledgling peacemakers you left here. I really hope they have a djembe or a set of congas for you up there.

And remember...if you get to play Scrabble with the Big Guy: SYZYGY. 'Cause I think that, even in heaven, we can't help but hope that things will line up just right, even if we are in the dark about it for a little while.