Money Thought Leader: Karen McAllister
As winter envelopes the world in its silent embrace, it often brings with it an air of reflection and a touch of melancholy for me.
Reflections On Winter And Loss:
The chilly months have witnessed the passing of some of my closest family members—my mother, father, and grandparents all left us during this season. With time, I’ve come to understand that death is a profound part of life, a frequent visitor that reminds us of the impermanence we all share.
The Importance Of Financial Preparation:
While the idea of planning for death may seem daunting, I assure you that it can be a meaningful and empowering process.
Financially preparing for our final journey is a vital gift we can offer to our loved ones. The costs of burying a loved one can range from $6,000 to $10,000—a reality that emphasizes the importance of proactive planning. By communicating openly with family about our wishes—establishing a death plan that encompasses both practical and financial aspects—we can alleviate the burdens they may face during an already challenging time.
A Personal Loss And Community Support:
Recently, I experienced the profound loss of my mentor, teacher, and dear friend, Qapel, co-founder of Clear Sky Meditation Center.
In that moment of sorrow, his partner and co-founder, Catherine Sensei, was enveloped by the warmth of our vibrant spiritual community.Â
What was especially meaningful about this experience was the community coming together to do what was needed and hold each other beautifully in this very bitter sweet moment.
The Value Of A Living Will:
What made this experience easier to navigate was the foresight of our founding teachers in making – and encouraging us all to make – living wills.
We had the caring guidance of a beloved community member, Linda Hochstetler, an expert in the death and dying process. A living will, which articulates one’s medical treatment preferences in the event of an incapacitating situation, is a precious gift to both the individual and their loved ones.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives: Terramation:
Qapel’s living will offered us a beautiful way to remember him and honor the life he cherished. He desired a body disposal method that would be gentle to our planet and reflect the values we hold dear at Clear Sky: care for the financial, social, environmental, and spiritual dimensions of existence.
We embarked on a journey to explore eco-friendly alternatives and discovered terramation, or “human composting.” Here is an interesting video about it.Â
Photo by Ava McLean
Nurturing the Land: A Full-Circle Moment:
Having invested years in restoring the land around Clear Sky which was spear-headed by our co-founder, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei, the choice to return Qapel to the soil felt right.
The property had seen better days, being over-grazed and degraded. Together, our community has been dedicated to nurturing this land back to health.
A Vision for the Future
Though there’s a bittersweet flavor to this story, Qapel and I were working very closely to help fund our future meditation hall. He was hoping to be around for its completion.
Although he will not be physically present to witness the meditation hall’s completion, the essence of his spirit remains with us, and the soil from his body will be laid to rest in our new temple garden.
Drawing by Okada Earthscape Co.
Embracing the Duality of Life and Death:
In cherishing the memories we’ve shared and the values we uphold, we embrace the duality of life and death. Yes, death can be sad and heart-wrenching.
And it can also be unexpectedly expensive. Yet, in our case, it became an opportunity for coming together as a community, yielding to the cycle of nature, and celebrating life while nurturing our beloved planet, Gaia.Â
A Legacy of Growth and Renewal:
As we navigate the complexities of mortality, let us do so with love, compassion, and intentionality. By taking steps to prepare for the inevitable, we honor not only our lives but also the lives of those we cherish. In death, we may find new beginnings, and in every goodbye, we can leave behind a legacy that inspires growth and renewal.
Did you enjoy this article? Become a Kuel Life Member today to support our Community. Sign-up for our Sunday newsletter and get your content delivered straight to your inbox.
About the Author:
Karen has worked with over 100 clients, helping them untangle their money issues and to become more effective in their work because of it. To do this, Karen has studied financial issues extensively from both the practical, behavioral, and the emotional perspectives.
She has been certified by Deborah Price of the Money Coaching Institute as a Certified Money Coach, a Couples Money Coach, and a Business Archetype Coach. She has studied with Lynne Twist from the Soul of Money Institute for two years on Mastering your Money and Transforming your Life, including studies in Lynne’s Fundraising from the Heart program. Checkout Karen’s site TheMindfulMoneyCoach. Or, you can email Karen directly at the karen@themindfulmoneycoach.com. If you want to improve in any of these areas—whether it’s your scarcity mentality, your communication around agreements, or developing a practice of generosity—join my FREE webinar on September 25th @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EST here.
