To Walk with Saints and Scholars

March 16, 2026

“The Sky Is Grey. The Sand Is Grey. The Ocean Is Grey.”

Photo by LKV Walsh

A reflection on mortality by Parker J. Palmer:

“I’ve been contemplating my own mortality since I was in my mid-twenties—but it’s not been a morbid exercise. Instead, it’s given me deep gratitude for the life we’ve been given as a gift to have and to hold for a while. How to give thanks for a gift like that? Pass it along to others in whatever way we can.

Some years ago, I received an unexpected assist with this ancient spiritual practice of facing into my own mortality. On a speaking tour that required me to drive several hundred miles, I stopped at a hotel halfway between gigs. At check-in, the clerk asked if I was in town for business or personal reasons. “Neither,” I said. “I’m just passing thru.”

Ever since, I’ve been getting mail from Courtyard by Marriott addressed to “Parker Palmer, Passing Through,” as if I needed a reminder!

I find it comforting that Marriott International, Inc. recognizes the Transient Nature of Human Existence. Perhaps that’s why they offer us the consolation of chocolate chip cookies, a “pillow mint,” and a small plastic machine to make coffee at any hour. Plastic coffee, but still…

When a mega-corporation goes all existentialist on us—reminding us of the fleeting nature of life AND offering us consolations—there’s still hope for humankind! Pass the word and pass the gift along!”