Margaret Teichman recently made a donation to Susila Dharma in memory of Simon Whalen. She writes this remembrance of him:
This is in memory of Simon Whelan, a Subud NY brother who in his later years had become quite transformed by the love he experienced in the latihan. Every other week, he would travel alone for hours on public transportation just to do latihan with a sick brother. Later he was joined by another brother and got a ride part of the way.
He would always bring two dozen roses because they brought smiles. These roses were also shared with other rose lovers in the facility. And it happened one day that people began to ask after Simon. They wanted to tell him that the roses they were given two weeks before were as fresh as the day they were first put in water. In fact, one had begun to grow a new leaf. They had never seen anything like this before.
When Simon came for the last time that week, they surrounded him with feelings of love and awe. He got so much appreciation -he was amazed! But he never returned. That was his parting gift of love before COVID took his life a short while later.
May Simon’s love carry forward to help others in need through this donation.