Thank you, thank you, for all the kindness and prayers you’ve sent our way at the passing of my mother, Hazel Irene Dyer, on Sunday, July 22. Although Mom had been in a coma for two days, on the 22nd she seemed to be waiting for my brother Jim and his wife, Marilyn, to arrive. Soon after they entered her room, she somehow knew it was okay to let go and her heart stopped beating.

Jim and Marilyn have shown what it means to be God-realized people in the last 5 or 6 years. They have dedicated their lives to reaching out and serving—first in caring for Marilyn’s mom and then for our mom, Hazel. Jim and Marilyn are amazing souls; they are angels. I have enormous respect for that kind of service. As Lao-tzu said, our original nature is gentleness and kindness and reaching out to others. Ram Dass has told me many times that the grandest achievement of his life was taking care of his dad and stepmother during their last years.

Three of my kids were here with me in Hawaii when we got the news about Mom’s passing. The kids organized a Hawaiian-style ceremony for us. Sands, Sommer, Saje, Mira, and I put some candles and flowers on boogie boards and paddled out into the ocean at sunset. We went out about 100 yards from shore and formed a circle. Although it’s usually quite rough out there, this evening the water was totally calm.

“Grama’s at work here,” said Sands. Each of us shared a remembrance of Mom. After about half an hour, we let the flowers float on out to sea and paddled back in.

John Quincy Adams, 7th U.S. President, wrote this the day before he died: “John Quincy Adams is well, but the house in which he lives at the present time is becoming dilapidated. It’s tottering on its foundations. Time and the seasons have nearly destroyed it. Its roof is pretty well worn out. Its walls are much shattered and tremble with every wind. I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out of it soon. But he, himself, he himself is quite well, quite well.”

I can’t tell you how many conversations my mother and I had about death. We always talked very openly about it—never pretending that our bodies are not going to wear out and die. All that comes into the material world dematerializes—that’s just the nature of creation. Now Mother is free of all pain. She is in the mystery of all that we wonder about. Now she knows what’s on the other side. That is something we all will discover someday.

And so again, thank you for all the love you’ve sent to me and my family these past weeks. Thank you, Mom, for all your love. I love you always.