Hibbard Thatcher, In The Light

Thanks to Earth & Sky, I know that tonight is the year's closest full moon.

I remember when I was much younger, going to Quaker retreats with my family, lying on my back in the grass at night and watching the sky over me. Those retreats were so many miles from my big city lights of Franklin, Tn., and the beauty of seeing so many stars from those rural settings was simply awesome.

Thinking of those Quaker retreats from so long ago, I'd like to remember a man who was so very important to everyone involved. Hibbard Thatcher died on August 5, 2006. I was pretty young and don't remember too many details of his life, but I do know his name well. He will be missed by so many people whose lives he touched with love.

His memorial service will be held September 10 at the Nashville Friends Meeting.

Whenever I have the chance to lie back in the grass and watch the beautiful night sky, my mind does wander back to those retreats so many years ago. The lights of our consumer driven life are absent and the stars are rich and plentiful. Peaceful silence rests upon me like a blanket of compassion and love and I know that the world was a better place for the existence of Hibbard Thatcher.

We hold his memory in the light.