Full Circle

In the early morning On Wednesday May 16th Lynne Braden past away.
She died peacefully in her sleep, after battling Cancer for the 2nd time.
Lynne will be remembered for courageously fighting her battle to the End.
Her passion for life, friends, family and travel can be carried on by all of us
By continuing to live like she did.
Her big smile, courage and loving heart is what I’ll take with me as I continue
My journey in life.
If you see the View on the road somewhere in the near future honk and wave to me as I will be navigating It on a farewell journey to spread her ashes to all her favorite places that she asked
To be and to start a new journey in my life.

Lynne’s brother Randy Braden






Full circles on:
- this blog
- full-time RVing
- Bosque del Apache
- home 617 Carlsbad
- friends
- family
- Grandy's bed
- finding God
- religion / the Bible
- my life's purpose on Earth
- transition from secular to spiritual (from life on Earth to life in eternity)

• Back in mom’s bedroom at old family house
• Next post will likely be my memorial.  Comments will be turned off and blog archived.
• Cindy’s comments on showing how to die gracefully
• Death is so often avoided and looked at with so much dread—
• I believe God has brought be home (literally and figuratively) 
• Cancer has given me the freedom of time to enrich my end of life with so many wonderful conversations and re-connections.  Never would have had this opportunity if a plane crash or heart attack had taken me.
• So, do not mourn my death when it comes.  Remember me (as the Coco movie says).  That will keep my spirit living on.  Remember my story— don’t wait too long to start living your dreams.
• Do I have regrets?  Perhaps only a few— that I didn’t give back sooner in my life.  Most of my life was self-centered and filled with consuming to my own wants/desires.  It left a huge hole that took years to figure out how to fill.  For me, that hole was finally filled by giving to others— financially and via my volunteering time or selfless acts of kindness and friendship.  I may have sacrificed a higher-paying career by not doing “whatever it takes” and walking over whoever I needed to get ahead, but in the end,  are time here on earth is only marked by the legacy we leave.  Not the power/political/financial gains we made.

Full-Circle

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3 years ago, I took a walk to find myself...

The past couple of months I’ve realized that many circles in my life are now completing.

Can’t explain the unexplainable, but so many things have led me back to this place...to home.

A physical residence that I’ve known since 1976,

A place where old friends have returned to reunite with me,

A place where I have met new connections that share uncanny things that cannot be passed off as mere coincidence (Melissa & my grandfather’s sermon bed)

God leading me home for a reason (not to stay in Colorado)

It is right to be here now.

My future is unknown, but my fate (and faith) is certain.

I wish I could live another few decades to share all the lessons I’ve learned these past few years of leading a purpose-driven life (not letting others drive it for me), but all I can do now is hope that some of my musings on this blog have made a difference in your lives, pushed you beyond your comfort zone to take control over your life and live the life of your dreams.  To discover true fulfillment by emptying yourselves of pettiness, shallowness, and worthless physical possessions for a deeper connection to your fellow humans/animals, our earth, God, and the amazing reward of giving in all the ways that you can.

Be the light.  When told to act divisive, seek unity with one another.  Overcome hatred, ignorance, and power grabs.  Be humble.  Find and live with grace and honor.    In the end, it is the only legacy we each can leave.

I hope I’ve made the earth a little more sustainable for future generations.

I hope I’ve left a legacy (although baron of fame, fortune, or even a tombstone— something that will be left as a lasting impression to those who knew me here or in-person to continue for generations.

I’m not ready to go, and yet, the circle is completing for me now, so I must obey it and go on to the next world.   Michell quote.

My final post here (my obituary) will be published after I’m gone.  Comments will be turned off to preserve the sanity of my surviving family members.

I thank you all for following this journey with me.  You’ve enriched my life as much as I hope I’ve helped yours.

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Quotes from Dorrin:

Though my soul may set in darkness,

It shall rise in perfect light

I have loved the stars too truly

To be fearful of the night    

                                                   ~Sarah Williams

I framed a quote of Edgar Mitchell and hung it on my office wall in 1990.  It still hangs in the waiting room for all to see.  It says:  

"There are no unnatural or supernatural phenomenon, only very large gaps in our knowledge of what is natural... we should strive to fill those gaps of ignorance."

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Chris Leeser’s quotes on the walls of BdA Volunteer Lounge:

Be Kind

Work Hard

Stay Humble

Smile Often

Live Simply

Love Deeply

be thankful always

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All good things are wild and free

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You make a living by what you get. You leave a legacy by what you give.

— Winston Churchill ?

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Rather than seek power in being somebody,

seek truth in being nobody,

Because power will emerge from God’s truth.