Sadly, we just learned that Alan Charlton passed away unexpectedly a few days ago. He was generous, kind and wise. This was one of his favorite poems, by Lindsay Wilson:

"Leave a crack in the door,
for you are always available;
leave a part of your garden
untended
so the wild can have its way.
Leave the milk out –
don’t worry,
it won’t go bad.
It will culture,
and then you can make
creamy butter.
Go to bed earlier
and let go
into the night
to find that the dream world
was never far away.
Open your soul up
to the mystery.
Try not to see all there is to see
so that there’s something left
for the rest of your life
and the lives you won’t remember.
Don’t say all you need to say
so that silence
can speak for you,
so that chance
can have some room.
Don’t fill yourself up too much
or there will be no space
for everything else –
and we all know magic
loves space,
even though its vastness
frightens us.
Stack stones for someone else
to find along their path,
leave notes for loved ones,
tie a ribbon around the branch
of an old oak tree for love –
what you feel of it
and what you remember of it.
Nurse something back to health
just because you can.
Friends, energy in this world
flows like a river.
What we do to the river
upstream
affects all downstream.
Therefore,
we each have the opportunity
to play magician,
sending others
gentle, cosmic nudges
of support and promise –
for at each
and every moment
the river is moving through you.
They will never know your name.
Keep a door open for the mystery.
Keep a part of you wild.
Remember those who are downstream,
even though
you will never know their name."

His friend Jacqueline Teggin had these thoughts to share...

"I only knew Alan for a short time, but in that time he touched my life immensely, freely giving his time, support and wisdom. He was passionate about the environment and an expert in many fields, although modest and generous with his extensive knowledge. He took it upon himself to mentor me, nurturing my self belief and encouraging me to look deep within myself, feeding me with carefully tailored snippets of information along the way. He always had time for everyone, always cheerful and gave himself selflessly and wholly. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself and will leave a big hole in my life and many others."

Alan shared this on his FB page a few days ago...

"I belong to no religion. My religion is love.
Every heart is my temple." ~ Rumi

Rest in peace ((brother)))