Over at his Technopagan Yearnings place, NeoWayland has shared a couple of pieces that have fired my thinking since I encountered them several days ago. The older one, Before Me, kinda-mostly explains the idea; and Before a Winter’s Eve, written just a couple of weeks ago (and which I saw first), is a second round of the exercise. At the risk of overstepping some unknown boundary, I offer a first take on honoring some of my important Befores.

“Bone, Heart, Thought, Deed, and Spirit, I choose to honor these people this season.”

Before of Bone: my mother. Like her, love her, frustrated and perplexed by her ... all those were true in life, and remain true long after her death at only 48 years old. While we didn’t understand each other completely, we understood each other well enough often enough to respect one another; and I occasionally find myself pleasantly astonished that some element of her way of being has popped up in mine.

Before of Heart: Carol, the midwife who helped bring both snolfs into the world. She was freshly delivered from midwifery school when I first met her; I was an asthmatic happily surprised at being pregnant despite being long in the womb for the adventures before me, according to the so-called experts. Despite each of us having solid grounds to be cautious of the other, we hit it off immediately. I am certain that her relaxed, positive, loving attitude contributed to both of my pregnancies and childbirths being very happy, enjoyable, complication-free events.

Before of Thought: Thomas Paine. I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.

Before of Deed: Marie Curie. The first person I recognized as a hero, she might well also have been the first “supermom”. A brilliant, dedicated scientist, she was also a warm and caring mother.

Before of Spirit: Peter McWilliams.