I am turning 62 this year and I was born in 1962.
Apparently this makes this my Beddian birthday; a Beddian birthday is when you are the same age as the year you were born.
My imagination went to the possibilities of how I might mark and enjoy the year. With Rumi, Mary Oliver and Meister Eckhart as guides, I considered that I could set the intention of falling in love with the Earth 62 times over the year.
Born in 1962, turning 62 years old, falling in love with the Earth 62 times — seemed like a plan!
At the same time, I have been living with the question of how to continue the work of Green Exodus.
To use the language of Deep Time, the matrix of Green Exodus — the context / womb that has supported it — has and is changing. Green Exodus began in 2021, during Covid, with the support of Rev. Greg Wooley and Ralph Connor Memorial United Church. We met on Zoom and my other consulting work was less demanding.
Now I am working half time for the Calgary Interfaith Council. There is expectation and opportunity to meet in person because Covid is over. At the same time, there is a new normal about how we create community and learn together because of the Covid-driven increase of and familiarity with online gathering. The relationship with Ralph Connor is evolving because Rev. Wooley is retiring and it would seem that in person activities in Calgary are both possible and desirable. Also, new relationships are developing with partners in Calgary.
All of these factors are impacting how Green Exodus might manifest in the near future. As the lead animator, I am wanting to find a way of doing this work that is sustainable for me in terms of my time and capacity.
As I was discerning how to continue the work of Green Exodus, given all the emerging realities, the possibility of meeting monthly around the theme of conditions and impediments for falling in love with the Earth seemed desirable, doable and delightful!
Attend the gatherings (CLICK HERE) or retreats (CLICK HERE)
The story behind a Beddian Birthday Basically, a Beddian birthday is when you are the same age as the year you were born. But a little trip down history lane reveals there’s quite a bit more to it than just that. We recommend busting out an ice-cream cake for this one. It’s quite a ride.On Nov. 5, 2007, the New Yorker published an article written by Lizzie Widdicombe entitled, “The Firefighter’s Theorem.” This article recounts a story about Bobby Beddia, a New York firefighter, and his now-famous birthday observation. On a sunny August Saturday, Bobby chatted with Rhonda Shearer, a visitor to his fire station, about his great luck in getting to live during his birth year. When asked to elaborate, he explained that he was born in September 1953, so his age in 2006/2007 matched the final two digits of the year in which he was born: 53. This phenomenon happens to everyone, but only once in a lifetime, and Bobby Beddia was thrilled to be experiencing this. Tragically, later that day, Bobby was killed in the line of duty.