With the shortage of contractors, I was feeling particularly lucky that Barry was able to help us rebuild our front stoop. Everyone who knew Barry loved him. With Barry one not only got masterful carpentry work, but an afternoon of soulful conversation. Barry was real. Barry was a great listener. Barry was no stranger to emotional hardships. And Barry was a seeker on the meaning of life.
Depending on the day, we would often talk about our favorite meditation guru du jour. Lately Jack Kornfield had been resonating with him. We would undoubtedly talk about his children and mine, our hopes for a good life for them. I used to say that I wish he was my childrens’ uncle, and I was always so amazed at how talented he was. He would reply, “You just figure it out.”
When I texted Barry a thank you photo for the amazing job he had just completed, I got a text back from his wife telling me that Barry had passed away. I was in shock. We had just been hanging out the week prior. We were midway in another project. He still had so much love to give and receive from his family, friends and customers…
I guess he might say, live your life as best you can today. We miss you Barry!
Below are Barry’s own words:
“I used to believe some things would go on forever, but the truth is, nothing is forever except the cycles of life and death - which are a manifestation of You. You show yourself in every expression of life. You speak constantly through the cycles as if they were organic covenants with us. You promise us a spring after every winter, hope after every difficulty, a rebirth after we crumble into ashes. But the truth is that it is a day-by-day and sometimes minute-by-minute experience of breathing, interpreting my world, and deciding in that moment whether I am going to be afraid or not. My world looks beautiful when I feel safe and terrifying when I do not. Oddly regardless of how I feel, the same trees are in view from my window. Clouds still pass overhead. Flowers are still blooming in my garden. The only variable is whether I wake in anxiety or in trust. It is day to day, this business of being alive. It is an illusion to believe I will be here tomorrow, even though I plan for it. Which will unfold? I can only wake tomorrow.”
A meditation on life written by Barry Mitchell Nelson
April 28, 1948 to June 28, 2021
