UC Irvine awards Gregory Coleman a full Master's degree

Today is a great day! Today I received for my father his Master's degree in music from the University of California at Irvine. I have to blog & run, but I'll be back to post more details tonight. Look for an article in the OC Register Local section tomorrow 4/12/06.

More info on this great day to come soon....

Dad's fight is over

Dad's long fight with cancer has come to an end. He passed away last night in peace. The room was filled with the kind of wonderful quiet he always loved. Dad was surrounded by loved ones who whispered beautiful things to him when all he had could do was listen. I held him and told him what a brave man, beautiful person and wonderful father he has been.

Dad asked me to carry out his final wishes. One of them is that there will be a grand wake. We will all mourn his passing. But Dad wanted us to celebrate all the beauty there is in life.

I will share the arrangements and details with you on this web log as soon as I can. Feel free to leave a comment for all, but you can also email me at jameskun@mac.com.

Dedication

A few thoughts for all of us as Greg M. and I get ready to go over to the Coleman Keep for a morning of breakfast and visiting with James and Gregory.

One dear friend said recently that what really fascinated her about Greg when her son started taking lessons from him years ago, was that he had dedicated his life to music. He didn't just play part time (like most of us), but filled every hour with art (I'm sure his mountain climbing was artful) and helped us all to feel the passion he felt at a piece of music suffused with genius, or at the beauty of a simple E chord on the guitar. She said she had never met a person so dedicated to art.

And now we learn firsthand about the people who dedicate themselves to caring for the ill. Not the chemical geniuses or the docs with the rocket ship lasers, but the experienced people who know just how to help a sick person into a wheelchair, or into a bed. Those whose job it is to stay up all night and watch when loved ones can no longer do it all. They could have other jobs, easier jobs with easier hours, but they choose caretaking and nursing. Understated love and calm strength to help us all.

An update for everyone

Dad's home. I've received many email and phone messages in the past several hours asking what the outcome was today. The docs at USC are now in the planning phase prior to starting the cyber-knife treatment. The planning may take up to two weeks, so for now, we're home. Dad sends everyone his love. The tribe sends everyone our thanks for ongoing support. More details later.

Blogging from USC

Dad made it safely to USC Norris today - I'm blogging from the hallways on the second floor where dad is getting implanted with coordinates for the cyber-knife treatment of a tumor scheduled to begin sometime next week.

I think I should share with everyone that dad loves receiving your comments- even just a hello. I share with dad how often this site gets visited- by hundreds of friends, students, family and others. This site connects many of us, and the thoughts and feelings warm dad's heart.

Dad will visit this blog again tonight, as he has every night for the last few months. Please feel free to leave a note, even just to say "hi".

A Moveable Feast

Dad (Greg) and his tribe are at Coleman Keep in Trabuco Canyon, and despite dad not being able to make it to Britta's - our Sunday tradition - Britta's came to us, almost literally. Britta not only prepared the food, but also sent a care package composed of table items to recall our regular Sunday experience - the checkered tablecloth, rosemary sprigs and a handwritten note.

I called in the orders, Motomi picked up this morning's 'moveable feast'. Margie coordinated and we ate! All our loved ones are with us in spirit this morning. Hat's off to Greg Mirken with a nod to Ernest Hemingway for this entry's title.

Colmunication

Several weeks ago I wrote about the "Coleman-ism" of pouring maple syrup into coffee. We were breakfasting, and I thought Greg had picked up the wrong little pitcher, expecting it to be cream. But no, he explained, he wasn't being chemo-brainey, he actually likes maple syrup in his coffee.

Tonight as we all sat eating and drinking (those of us who keep opiates in our cheek pouches had virgin scorpions, the rest of us had real, stinging scorpions) Greg coined a new Coleman-ism: Col-municating. We do it by putting our heads very close together, as in a hug, and speak softly of the most important subjects, like life and death, wisdom and love.
And the greatest of these, I have heard it said, is love.

Music of the Spheres

Tonight I played for the Maestro again. And I played for each one of you who has wanted to play for him, in sickness or in health. It was the music of the spheres; it just came to me through your thoughts and players, and I played in on my harp. It helped him to sleep.

We know that you're thinking of Gregory, because technology allows us to see how many people visit this site. Rest assured that although his fight is getting harder, he's snug in his own little home with his tribe attending to him.