Laura Whitworth

What's YOUR Bigger Game?

2007-07-23T03:08:00.001-07:00

"A Bigger Game feeds your hunger for meaning in life."

Honoring Laura's Life and Passing

2007-03-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

Information about Laura’s Memorial Service is posted below this story.

On Wednesday, February 28, 2007 our beloved Laura left this life. She was en-route home from receiving cancer treatments in Mexico and while flying high at 39,000 feet in a private plane with Judy and a private RN by her side, Laura passed away just minutes from landing at her home county airport. Judy brought Laura home to the Meadow House, which was filled with candlelight, firelight, and a group of loving friends. You were all with us here as we welcomed her home and placed her on her bed with a view of the meadow. As soon as she was placed on the bed, a smile appeared and stayed. Dozens of roses in pinks, yellows, reds and oranges surrounded her among the Stargazer lilies, and Gerbera daisies in a riot of fragrance and color. She rested on her favorite comforter of pink roses on a background of white. Rose petals sprinkled her pillow and pillars of candles burned, and are still burning.

We never left her alone as each of us sat with her, thinking our thoughts, sharing our tears and our laughter as we told stories and remembered her presence and impact on our lives. Present at her bedside and in the home were Laura and Judy’s families, members of the A Team and friends living close by.

The evening was sweet. Even though we only had a few hours, it was a gift to receive her here and say our goodbyes. Each of you in her community were very present last evening as we had the Blog up and alive all evening as we continued to read your sweet wishes, thoughts and words, and felt your prayers of support. For Judy the Blog has been, and will continue to be, a source of comfort, tears and laughter as she hears your stories about how Laura impacted your life.

When it was time for Laura to leave, we surrounded her and sang “Amazing Grace”, read her two favorite prayers, kissed her goodbye. She was wrapped in her rose quilt, a teddy bear tucked in her arms, with a bouquet of roses. We walked her out under the bright moon, stars twinkling and waved her goodbye and sang spontaneously “Happy Trails”.

Please continue to post to the Blog in the section below, titled "Personal Notes to Laura and Judy." We will continue to use the top portion of the blog as a way of communicating with you regarding plans for a memorial service which we are thinking will be Saturday, April 7. Please hold the date.

We wanted to share with you that although she was flying at 39,000 feet when she took her last deep breaths, Judy did in fact, bring her home to the Meadow House.

Just as the A Team and all the celebrants sang and danced to her at her 59^th birthday celebration in October, “Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no river deep enough, to keep us from getting to you Babe . . . “

With love,
The A Team and Isha

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Please send condolences to

Judy Pike & Laura's Family
321 South Main Street
PMB #542
Sebastopol, CA 95472

Donation checks should be made out to "Judy Pike, For Laura's Scholarship Fund"

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Laura's Memorial

A memorial to honor Laura’s life and passing will be held:

Saturday, April 7, 2007 at 2pm
Peacock Gap Country Club
San Rafael, CA.
(415) 453-3111

Directions

Hwy 101 heading south

Take the Central San Rafael exit
Turn Left on 2nd Street. 2nd Street eventually changes name to San Pedro Rd.
Continue approximately 5 miles (you’ll be driving along the waterfront)
Look for landmark: McNear’s Beach
Take the second Left: Biscayne Blvd
Follow about 1/4 mile and Peacock Gap is on left.
Park in upper parking lot.
Enter through the blue awning

Hwy 101 heading north

Take the Central San Rafael exit
Turn Right on 2nd Street
Follow directions as above

Laura's Two Favorite Prayers

2007-03-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Holy Spirit Prayer
Holy spirit, everywhere present,
I behold love in me,
and share it with all life,
and all humanity.

Carol Ruth Knox

Fenelon Prayer
Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee;
Thou only knowest what I need; Thou lovest me better
than I know how to love myself. O Father, give to Thy
child that which he himself knows not how to ask.
I dare not ask either for crosses or for consolations;
I simply present myself before Thee,
I open my heart to Thee. Behold my needs
which I know not myself; see and do according to
Thy tender mercy. Smite, or heal; depress me,
or raise me up; I adore all Thy purposes without
knowing them; I am silent; I offer myself in
sacrifice; I yield myself to Thee; I would have
no other desire than to accomplish Thy will.
Teach me to pray. Pray Thyself in me. AMEN.

Francois de Salignac Fenelon
Archbishop of Cambray. 1651-1715 A.D.

Personal Notes for Laura and Judy

2007-03-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Please use the space to share your thoughts, wishes, and reflections for Laura and Judy.

2007-02-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

Dearest Dear Friends,

Our beloved Laura left this life today on her plane ride home with Judy by her side.

This is all I seem to be able to say at this overwhelmingly sad moment.

We welcome your continued postings on this blog as we've all become such a family together through Laura's journey.

We'll let you know about a memorial service sometime after this next week passes.

Love,
Isha

Notes from Laura on Her JourneyThoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura as she lives well:January 2007 - February 2007

2007-01-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

For those of you that are returning, welcome back!
For those visiting for the first time, we're glad you're here!

Please read the Live Well section further below and then come back to this section to read the notes from Laura.
You may want to explore other blog topics and see the photos that are even further down the page.
Scroll down to the bottom of the blog for instructions for how to post comments...

To read Laura's most recent comments, click on the "# comments" link (e.g., "7 comments") directly below

Personal Notes to Laura: January - March 1 2007

2007-01-02T21:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone, this is a place where you can post personal notes and expressions to Laura. Please use the other topic areas to engage in the "stimulating" dialog that Laura so much enjoys.

PLEASE MAKE NEW POSTS TO THE SECTION ABOVE TITLED: "PERSONAL NOTES FOR LAURA AND JUDY."

Laura Celebrates 59!

2006-10-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Check out more fun photos of Laura's birthday celebration in the photo gallery below and more at http://www.flickr.com/photos/stacyparson/sets/72157594349887828/.

Notes from Laura on Her JourneyThoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura as she lives well: October 2006 - December 2006

2006-10-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Visit this section to view thoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura from October 2006 through December 2006.

Personal Notes to Laura: October - December 2006

2006-10-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Visit this section to view personal notes and expressions to Laura made from October 2006 through December 2006.

Notes from Laura on Her JourneyThoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura as she lives well: July 2006 - September 2006

2006-07-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

Visit this section to view thoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura from July 2006 through September 2006.

Personal Notes to Laura: July - September 2006

2006-07-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

Visit this section to view personal notes and expressions to Laura made from July 2006 through September 2006.

Notes from Laura on Her JourneyThoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura as she lives well: April 2006 - June 2006

2006-04-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Visit this section to view thoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura from April 2006 through June 2006.

Personal Notes to Laura: April - June 2006

2006-04-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

Visit this section to view personal notes and expressions to Laura made from April 2006 through June 2006.

Notes from Laura on Her JourneyThoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura as she lives well: August 2005 - March 2006

2006-03-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

Visit this section to view thoughts, expressions, and experiences from Laura from August 2005 through March 2006.

Personal Notes to Laura: January - March 2006

2006-03-01T22:56:00.000-08:00

Visit this section to view personal notes and expressions to Laura made from January 2006 through March 2006.

Personal Notes to Laura: November - December 2005

2006-02-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

Visit this section to view personal notes and expressions to Laura made from November 2005 through December 2005.

Photo Gallery

2006-02-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Please share your "living well" photos. Email photos to me - Stacy Parson (sparson@deloitte.com) - with your caption and comments and I'll make sure they get posted. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Love, Stacy
-----------------------------
"Cel-e-brate Good Times..." - Laura Turns 59

A Collage from Emily
Sutherlin, Oregon
(From top left to bottom right)
1 & 2 - our "reunion" at the BG Conference in May
3 - "Take a walk with me along Rick Creek"
4 - a deep pool where salmon hang in summer
5 - a mother Wood Duck and babies making tracks!
6 - of the rocks which have blue, red, tan, many colors
7 - fern
8 - a wild rose
9 - at the end of the walk

Hesteah, Shekinah, Laura H and Jill in Capital Reef, Utah
(Shared by Harper Mann)

On the Beach...

On the beach in Tulum.

Enjoying Mexican beverages shortly before learning that the car had broken down - aye yai yai!

Trillium on a tree stump - Happy Spring!
(Shared by Emily Blakely)

Laura - Lookin' Good at R4 (Earthquakes)
(Shared by Holly Bennet)

Window on the World of Possibility from NZ
(Shared by Holly Bennet)

Emily's Winter Farm

Here we have Goat Fresca & baby, Pup Chance now, Llama Harvey seeing snow for the first time, Wild turkeys, Harvey again, Pup Chance then, Henrietta & chicks.

Bev...Good Times

Merms....

Gail...Growing Love

Creating my gardens.

Gail & Patrick, Love

Happy as a Girl in Dirt!

The CTI Team Sends Their Love

Svetlana, Josephine

Oliya,DeeDee,Trudy

Joyce, Oliya,Jennet

WOW Team

Heidi and Joyce

Elizabeth, Joyce, Sonja, and Dawn

Dawn and Debra

Bruce and Joyce

Brayth and Debbie

Barb, Angie, Stephanie

Zoe in Paris
"Come and join me" - Zoe

Zoe and the Vikings
Torkel and Zoe revelling in a viking feast in Norway.

Emily & Clyde, Sutherlin, OR

Celebrating Judy and Shekinah
Photos from their retirement party - October 2005

Dahlias in October
From Judy's garden on the day of her retirement party

Say it with a Sunflower or two
I so enjoyed seeing you and Judy last week. I have some good photos to share from the visit. These are just two, and some others are crossing the ocean as we speak. With much love, Linda

Jenn Weinberg sends "big warm fuzzy hugs from all of us lil monsters." She's living well at a new job at Pixar.

Laura & Salty Don - Earthquakes High Ropes Day, R2 Co-Active Leadership, July 28/05 - Living strong, having fun, leaning in 100%! (shared by Barbara Swanston)

Here's Leslie living well in Mexico! Braces are gone ... time for big smiles! Her dogs, Benito and Jorge, look like they are living well too.

Kimberlee, Judy, Stacy and Laura on a most excellent trek through wine country. Imagery Winery (top), Kunde Winery (bottom) June 2005

Personal Notes to Laura: August - October 2005

2006-02-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

Visit this section to view personal notes and expressions to Laura made from August 2005 through October 2005.

Live Well

2006-02-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

You know those yellow wrist bracelets that came out last year from Lance Armstrong?

His battle cry is “Live Strong”

We believe in life. Your life. We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your being. And that you must not let cancer take control of it. We believe in energy: channeled and fierce. We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong. Unity is strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.

This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation...

As I lean into the recent news that my lung cancer has spread to other locations, this message resonates for me. Western medicine does not have a favorable prognosis for this kind of metastasized cancer, so Lance’s words remind me to be strong, to live strong. There are sometimes when you have cancer that hearing those words really help.

I intend to Live Strong.

My battle cry is Live Well!

Live Well reminds me that while I am alive I want to have each moment, each action and thought aligned with my values, my philosophy -- with who I am. And when I forget to Live Well (and I will from time to time) I want to be reminded of that intention. My friend Karen professed her friendship years ago by promising to see that I died well, and knowing that is handled frees me up to live each moment -- really live each moment, well. I think that is probably the path to dying well.

So how about you? Do you want to be reminded to Live Well?

The mantra of my support team is: More fun, more life, more often! Perhaps we can continue to explore what more life and living well mean, here on this Blog.

Thank you for coming, please leave a note and thank you in advance for your well wishes.

Warmly, Laura August 2005

What's Important? What's Important Now?

2005-08-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

This blog is a place to touch and be touched. A context for expression and a catalyst for action. This is Laura's favorite quote:

You cannot stay on the summit forever,
You have to come down again . . .
So why bother in the first place?
Just this: What is above knows what is below,
but what is below does not know what is above.
One climbs, one sees. One descends,
One sees no longer but one has seen.
There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions
By the memory of what one saw higher up.
When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.
— Rene Daumal

What will YOU do today?

Music, Music, Music

2005-08-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Music is very healing and important to Judy and I. We would love it if you would share some of your favorite songs and what magic they hold for you.

More Fun! More Life! More Often!

2005-08-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Would love to hear about the excellent adventures you're having in your life...