Belatedly, I heard that our much admired friend and greatly respected colleague Ruth passed into the spirit world. Thích Nhất Hạnh, the wise Vietnamese Buddhist monk, articulates mindful thoughts in poetry Ruth would surely recognize:
"Birth and death are only doors through which we pass,
sacred thresholds on our journey.
Birth and death are a game of hide- and seek.
So laugh with me, hold my hand.
Let us say good-bye to meet ... each other in all forms of life."
Harald in Seacoast Maine