Up, Up, and Away
Posted On: Saturday, October 31, 2020
On late Thursday afternoon, I went to my garden at the Ashland Community Gardens on Park St. It is a fenced off area at Stone Park. It had been a great day celebrating the Dream Factory Community’s 16th birthday and the difference it makes. It was our biggest online monthly gathering since Covid had changed everything.
- Getting to the garden had been challenging. There was more traffic and roads were taped off. I was relieved when I finally arrived. I noticed there was an Ashland fire truck and a police car with a blue light flashing. Then there was a deafening noise coming from the sky. Everything felt like there was something wrong, but I wasn’t sure what.
- Then out of sky came a helicopter that landed right next to the garden.
- When I saw the Med-Flight sign that was on the tail of it, it has become clearer, there was an accident and whoever it was, it was so serious that they were getting air-lifted to Boston.
- It took awhile, but eventually I could see them being loaded onto the helicopter which took off into the sky.
I was in the garden, so I was closer than anyone there. I took pictures and started to pray. Whoever it was, I wanted them to know I was there; praying and sending energy for the best possible outcome. I was agitated but when the helicopter flew away, I tended my garden and then picked some flowers there.
- When I got home I put them in a separate vase rather than including them in some of my other flower arrangements.
- Later that night, I found out it was our friend, Jacob, who was being loaded onto helicopter. Jacob and my husband, had been good friends, and his wife Jeanne was a friend of mine as well. I knew their five kids and couldn’t believe this had happened.
Jacob Handelman
- I heard from Maureen, a close friend of the family, that he was at Beth Israel, and that he would be going in for brain surgery on Friday morning. Jeanne got called in the next day. The surgery was unsuccessful, and she was told that the doctors would take Jacob off of life support later that day. The whole family went to the hospital to say goodbye to Jacob.
- Both Jeanne and Maureen are members of the Dream Factory Community. They are in the same CDO Circle led by Kim Lentros. Maureen did a great job of letting everyone know what was going on with Jeanne and her family.
Betsy, one of the members of that Circle called me. She wanted to bring flowers over to the family. I gave her the vase of flowers I had picked at the garden after Jacob was taken up in the helicopter. Betsy picked them up, added muffins, a card, some her own roses and dropped them off at Jeanne’s.
- Later that day, Maureen sent a picture of an alter the kids had made for their dad. It was his vision board, candles and right in the middle were the flowers from the garden. They seemed perfectly placed—they had been there when Jacob was air-lifted and there they were in his dining room offering love and support to his family.
- Jacob died later that night surrounded by his family. I hope as he was going up, up and away, he felt all the love and support that was there for him through so many people and their kindness. Jeanne and their kids will reap the benefits of the life that Jacob led. One of contribution, generosity and unquestioned support of other people.
As his family launches the next phase of life without Jacob, I just want him to know, because of who you were, they will powerfully and lovingly continue their journeys in life, eternally grateful for everything you have provided for them.
