It was a beautiful day in Craigville Massachusetts and about twenty-five people gathered on the edge of Red Lily Pond to talk about healing of the pond we all love, and to create a Radical Joy for Hard Times ceremony. The highlight was to welcome back to the neighborhood Rev. Nevin Kirk, who has been hospitalized for a month. He was one of the original founders of the Red Lily Pond Project, back in 1975, and has worked tirelessly for the last 37 years to clean up the pond. We presented him with a proclamation, which other members of the community read aloud, section by section, (copy attached) which was very moving. We then each held a chalice with pond water in it, shared a few words, or simply dipped our fingers in the water, or touched it to our bodies; then, once everyone had done so, we poured the water into an earthen vessel, to symbolize our bodies, and the body we all share, and with a blessing, returned the water to the pond.

It was festive and somber, celebratory and serious, and a wonderful opportunity for neighbors to gather, in the spirit of Radical Joy, talk about our love for the pond, for one another, for the earth’ and our commitment to live joyously and to continue our work to save this pond from the many threats it faces. We were joined by birds, rabbits, bullfrogs, and waterfowl. I’ve attached a few pictures, and a copy of the proclamation honoring Nevin. You’ll see that we shared a few laughs, and a few tears. A good day.