On October 23rd I retired at
the age of 66 from my job of 9 ½ years with the Chesapeake Climate Action
Network. And on October 27th my father of almost-95 years died.
I had planned to retire from CCAN next
fall, but decided to do so now in part because of my dad’s seriously declining
health. My sisters and I knew he could pass from this world at any time; his
cardiologist had told him 3 ½ years ago that he probably had 1-2 years left.
As distinct from my mom’s illness
leading to her death 10 years ago, my father’s was easier, though not easy. My
mother developed Alzheimer’s in her 70’s and died at the age of 85 after
suffering progressive deterioration over 8-9 years. My dad was her caregiver
all throughout that time. It was not easy on him, but he was determined to do
so until the end because of the deep love and appreciation he had for her, his
wife of 63 years. She died at home.
My father was in pretty good shape up
until about two years before his death. His last year was one of constant good
and bad days, with clear weakening and difficulty in walking even with the aid
of a walker. His mind and his memory got worse, but usually most of his brain
kept functioning pretty well, which was a blessing to him and to those who knew
him. His last few years were spent in an assisted-living facility which
provided good and respectful care and allowed for many visits from my two
sisters and me and our families.
My parents were progressive-minded
people. Though not too activist compared with me, they supported my activism
all through the years I have been about “world-changing,” since 1968. They were
very religious; my father’s last job was as president of Bangor Theological
Seminary in Maine, a United Church of Christ seminary. At his funeral service a
couple of days ago religious music, prayer, hymn-singing and presentations
predominated, as he wanted.
The minister who gave the main
presentation, Rev. Peter Schmiechen, concluded his remarks by emphasizing what
he knew my dad believed, at the root of his being: as much as good works are
needed, reforms of society, the building up of institutions based on justice,
etc., it is not enough unless human beings, and human society, realize that it
is all about Love (God). As Paul wrote in First Corinthians 13, and as read
during the service:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging
cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could
remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not
love, it profits me nothing.
“Love suffers long and is kind; love
does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave
rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not
rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things.
“Love never fails. But whether there are
prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether
there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in
part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will
be done away.
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child,
I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put
away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these
three; but the greatest of these is love.”
These words were also read at my mom’s
funeral service 10 years ago.
It is almost uncanny how I retired at
essentially the same time that my dad died. One of the things it means is that
I will have more time in retirement to do the other things, besides care of my
father, that I planned to do: more writing, more time spent with Jane Califf,
my wife of 36 years, continued work on the climate issue and other campaigns
and issues--particularly right now with Beyond Extreme Energy and in support of
the Sanders campaign--and other more personal projects that I’ll look into.
“Retirement” is a funny word. I suppose
for some people whose work has been particularly boring, difficult and/or
oppressive, it’s a word that fits. In my case, it’s different, since most of
the paid employment I’ve done over the past 50 years has been in support of
justice, peace, action on the climate crisis, youth leadership or related
causes. And as I said at the retirement party CCAN held for me a couple months
ago, I intend to keep working to solve the climate crisis and to change the
world until the day I die.
As I do that work I will continue to do
what I have tried to do as best I could up to now: be about the process of
social change in a way which brings people together across lines of difference
to work in a respectful and striving-for-equality way, and which helps others
grow in their commitment, understandings, and grounding in Love, in the deepest
and most powerful sense of the word. I am convinced, based on my life
experiences and learning, that it is only by our movement as a whole doing so
that we have a chance of preventing climate catastrophe and bringing about a
much more just, ecologically stable and peaceful world.
Ted
Glick has been a progressive activist and organizer since 1968. Past writings
and other information can be found at http://tedglick.com, and he can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/jtglick.
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