Family Hunger Genealogy

© Copyright Todd Neel

9/4/2024 Wednesday, about 8 am

Check in from Alaska Highway, Alberta, Canada

(Note: this is a portion of my journal entry, and also a portion of my e-mail to my men’s group)

I am motivated to write in my journal here as I was reading today’s entry from Summer Meditations with Native American Elders by Don Coyhis. It’s pretty lengthy so I won’t quote the whole thing right now (but I reserve the right to, later). My take on it is about sacrifice and suffering. (There is one edition for every season, and also a publication for the whole year, a compilation of the four seasons.)

As I travel I notice, especially when pointed out to me, that I am sacrificing things by taking this month long trip. I am sacrificing some comforts of home (infinite hot water and electricity, curbside garbage pick-up, instant comfort from the furnace and AC at the push of a button, Internet access, etc. Some of these utilities are just harder to get and in shorter supply on the road, but not totally absent in this 18 ft. trailer. I’m not sure these are the same sacrifices that Don Coyhis is talking about in today’s suggestion meditation: “The elders say that if you want something good, you have to suffer for it” (Dr. Allen (Ehanamani) Ross, Lakota).

I have seen great beauty traveling up through northern Idaho, British Columbia, Alberta, Banff and Jasper National Parks, etc. In the town of Jasper I witnessed approximately 50% of the buildings burnt to the ground from a wildfire earlier this summer. (I know those people are familiar with sacrifice and suffering!)

Note: I also heard from Mary on the phone about Wolf Lodge Restaurant burning down and one of the employees hospitalized from burns – our son Josh used to work there and knows some of those employees.

 Anyway, I hope you all are doing well, as you are with me here as I hope I am with you there.

 Love, Todd