Invocation for Bill Liggin

Celebration is defined by Merriam Webster:
To praise someone, to say that someone is great.
To do something special for an important event.
To mark by festivities
To honor by solemn ceremony.

This evening we are gathered to celebrate the life and passing of Bill Liggin.
Tonight is a celebration.
There will be joy and sadness, but most of all there will be the love we feel for Bill.

Bill Liggin was an extraordinary man.
He was also very human.
Part of what made him extraordinary was his choice to bring love, acceptance and laughter to the world,
in the face of the darkness and demons he dealt with every day.

All he ever wanted was to be connected, to love and be loved for he was. Who he was, in his own words, a fuck up and imperfect.
In my words, an extraordinary man.

As a means to honor, who, Bill was in the world I would like us all to hear some of his words.
Would you please close your eyes, see Bill Ligeon in your mind. See his hazel eyes, boldly looking at you, irreverently thru, tortoise shell glasses. His white hair and beard framing his face. A slight smile. He is sitting in a camp chair, bare-chested and comfortable in a colorful sarong.

The first, and most important thought is Love and Acceptance.
We each must learn to love and accept ourselves.
The full spectrum of ourselves.
The fabulous and the fuck up.
As humans we aspire to being perfect.
Our society distains failure and imperfection.
The reality is, We are all fuck ups, that is part of the human condition.
We love and hate, we are afraid, we judge, we feel joy and despair. We succeed and fail. Learning to love and accept ourselves, gives each of us the chance to live the full spectrum our lives.
The depths of despair gives us access to the heights of joy.

Buddha Bill would ask you another question.
Honesty: How honest are you? With yourself and with others
What do you want?
What passion lies smoldering in your soul, pining to be unleashed?

Will you take a moment, NOW, while you grieve his passing and look? What do you have to say, to yourself and perhaps to another.
I know, you have been waiting for that perfect moment.
Well,
Now is always that moment!
Now is always the moment!
Now, is always the perfect moment.

Wisdom: Wisdom can only be judged in retrospect.
Bill Liggin was one of our wise elders.
Our community grieves his loss!
His wisdom, which will be missed, was sourced in his willingness,
his choice,
to have the courage to say what needed to be said.
Or,
sometimes, to say nothing.
In the face of the fear of losing connection, he knew honesty, with himself and with others is the means of connection.

Courage: Bill was courageous.
What is often forgotten is that true courage is not the absence of fear;
it is the willingness to take action in the face of fear.
Deep down, we all fear the loss of connection with others. Bringing love to yourself and loving others requires courage.
To love, to laugh, to sing, to dance, to participate, all require courage.
To set aside that deepest fear, the fear of looking silly and ridiculous
and throw ourselves, joyfully, into the abyss of being fully alive.

Participation: Joy and connection can be sourced in a commitment to participate.
Showing up is fully half of participating.
The other half is determined by what you bring of yourself to make a difference.
What do you contribute to our community and the world.
Who you are and what you bring, often the small and seemingly insignificant things, that change the world.
Bill left the world a better place than when he arrived in January 1948.

Bill Liggin was a hero.
Though he would never admit it.
The word hero is defined as: A person of distinguished courage or ability. Admired for brave deeds and noble qualities.

Consider this: Each of us is heroic.
We are heroic just getting through each day.
As you celebrate Bill Ligeon as the hero he was.
Consider also, acknowledging yourself, for your super powers and heroic nature, those qualities that allow you to get through each day of your life.
Bill's passing, reminds us that no one gets out alive.
It is so important to live each day as if it is your last.
To be present for each moment. The pain and the joy.

Another Question: If today is that last day of your life, have you made sure you have done what you need to do?
Have you said what you need to say?
Have you received the love offered to you and have you loved in return?

Bill, we love you, we mourn your passing.
We celebrate your time among us.
We are in awe of who you are for each of us.

To honor and celebrate the life of Buddha Bill, over the next two or three minutes. Turn to the person next to you.
Acknowledge something about them you admire, something about them you love.
Something you have been fearful of saying,
speak from your heart,
speak from love.
You could continue this throughout the rest of the evening…or perhaps, the rest of your life.
Capture this moment to express your passion and your love.
Love, both for yourself, and others.
That is one way to honor that extraordinary, heroic man, Bill Ligeon.
To carry his legacy of love and acceptance out into the world.

We love you Bill, we will carry you in our hearts and our lives.
Thank you for being you.
I bow to the spirit within you.
Namaste