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The People Who Leave You Full
Dawn Callan, one of the great teachers and friends of my life, passed away Saturday morning. I’m sure I will begin to write about my relationship with this little dynamo, the greatest self-defense instructor I’ve ever known. I mean that in the sense that she had the unique capacity to spark, in only two days, a place of warrior awareness most strip-mall dojos couldn’t dream of. And I’d estimate that most people who have trained for two years are only just beginning to glimpse. And at only four foot eleven, some of that her puffy hair, I found that utterly astonishing, and changed what I considered even possible.
The first thing I noticed after hearing she had died was the feeling: “ah. There it is.” I’d seen it coming for many months, and was mildly surprised every week she was still here. She had done so much damage to that little body, conducting light and energy into the world, like running 100 amps through a 40 amp fuse. Something had to give.
But what I really noticed is that there are people who, when they pass from my life, left me feeling empty. And there are others who leave me…fuller.
THAT was a surprise, and something I’d not expected or really considered. And wondered about it. I suspect that it is connected to your connection to THEM. Since I knew she was leaving, I hung on every word: this was a woman who had somehow connected…