The most beautiful woman in the world...

...graces me with her presence every day. What a lucky man I am to receive this most incredible daily gift: Stephie Wei Li Cheng!

Love,
Her Not So Secret Admirer

I just had to say...

...that I love this man!

Love,

His Secret Admirer

The Same Mountain Top ~ Orcas Island

Within one year of each other, the Menke Pathology Dynamic Duo and the Cheng Mama-Papa-Daughter Trio went to Orcas Island and ascended Mt. Constitution. What are the chances? :)

Sunset Time Lapse

We love sunsets, photography, and music and here is a combination of all three.

Love,
J and S

Hot Air Balloons...

Sun emerging,
People gathering,
Balloons inflating,
Flames burning,
Up, up and away,
Into the clear blue sky,
Blue, red, yellow, green,
Floating so peaceful and serene,
Oh my, what a scene!


A picture from the largest hot air balloon festival in the world in Albuquerque, NM.

Breaking the Silence

As you may know Stephie has been at a silent meditation retreat for the past six days and has not been in cell phone or internet connection during this time. However, she did record some audio files and give me several gifts in a large cardboard box, and I have been opening one gift every day and listening to the pertinent audio files. Today is that last day of retreat (gasp!) and her gift today was a book of rumi love poems:

She also read the following poem to me:

i carry your heart with me

BY E. E. CUMMINGS

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) 

i am never without it 
(anywhere i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear
no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet)
i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Stephie, I love you through and through and how thoughtful and generous you have been to make such thoughtful gifts each day! The greatest gift of them all is you and yourr loving presence, which I felt the entire week. I walk each day side by side with you and hold your hand throughout all of time. I love you darling and cannot wait to talk later at long last!

Love,

J of J&S

Saturday afternoon movie

Just watched the movie Fierce Grace, a movie about Ram Dass' journey through life and his recovery from a stroke. There were some powerful reflections on suffering in life, and here are some of the quotes and stories that moved me the most:


A month after the passing of her boyfriend in Columbia Abby saw him in a dream and asked what she should do if she were to find love again on earth. He said, "This is small peanuts. When you find that love I am apart of it."

Rachel passed away at age 12 in Ashland, OR and this is a letter from Ram Dass to her parents:

Steve and Innita,

Rachel finished her brief work on earth and left the stage in a manner that leaves those of us left behind with a cry of agony as the fragic threads of fate are dealt with so violently. Is anyone strong enough to stay concious through such teachings as you are receiving? Probably very few and even they would only have whisper of equaminity and peace amidst the screaming trumpets of their rage, gried, horror and desolation. I cannot asuage your pain with any words. Nor should I for your pain is Rachel's legacy to you. Not that she or I would inflict such pain by choice, but there it is and it must burn its purifying way to completion.You may emerge from this ordeal more dead than alive, or something within you dies when you bear the unbearable, and it is only in that dark night of the soul that you will prepare to see as God sees and to love as God loves. Now is the time to let your grief find expression, no false strength. Now is the time to sit quietly and speak to Rachel and thank her for being with you these few years and encourage her to go on with her work knowing that you will grow in compassion and wisdom from this experience. In my heart I know you and she will meet again and again and recongnize the many ways in which you have known each other. And when you meet you will in a flash note what now it is not given to you to know why this had to be the way it was. Your rational minds can never understand what has happened, but your hearts if you can keep them open to God will find hope their own intuitive way. Rachel came through you to do her work on earth which includedher manner of death. Now her soul is free and the love that you can share with her is invulnerable to whims of changing time and space. In that deep love include me too.

So much love.

Ram Dass

Suffering brings us closer to God.

- Ram Dass' guru in India

My stroke is an incarnation. There are qualities in me that would never have come out. I am at peace now more than I have ever been. The peace comes from settling into the moment. This moment is alright.

-Ram Dass

I am touched by these reflections and words and just thought I would share. Love to all.

Joshie and Stephie

Welcome to Florida

I am flying back after a memorable four days with my family and the love of my life Stephanie Wei Li Cheng. We came together in Florida at this time because of the passing of my grandmother Catherine Berns Snyder. My grandmother passed away on August 10th, which also happens to be my mother's birthday and also my grandfather's birthday. How serendipitous the timing, and I am sure that my grandfather was calling his wife to him this after being separated for the last 25 years. I know this is one of his most treasured birthday gifts. We had a memorial service last Friday afternoon at my grandmother's retirement community Cypress Village to commemorate the incredible life of my grandmother. The service was very music centric, just like my grandmother, and I am sure she was smiling that day listening to her daughter, granddaughter and musician friends performing her absolute favorite pieces. The Clair de Lune played by Bonita was particularly heart wrenching for me, because of all the memories I have of laying underneath the piano while my grandmother Debussy's works from memory. Music has such a powerful effect on me, transporting me to distinct moments in time and running my full gamut of emotions. One of my grandmother's greatest gifts to her family and the world will always be her music, and I am blessed to grow up in such a musical family.

I was so touched to share this very tender and special time with the love of my life Stephie and to show her my childhood home and my family. She fit so naturally into my immediate and extended family and was received with open arms and open hearts. I was so touched to observe all the connections she made with family members and the precious moments we shared alone with one another. She immediately recognized the sweetness and good heartedness of my brother and we had an amazing weight lifting session with him at the District. I will never forget Stephie and I sitting on his legs to provide resistance as he lifting his torso from the floor to kneeling position--quite the scene. She glowed when listening to my sister sing and was so appreciative of my sisters vocal talent. I will never forget laying under the piano with Stephie and listening to my mom play and sister sing Going Home, Pie Jesu, and Ave Maria. She immediately connected with my mom, Mama Bear, and I will always remember the late night transpersonal conversation we had about the healing power of music in patients, working with homeless populations, and all my mom's work with the program Body and Soul in local hospitals and hospices (bodyandsoul.org). I saw Stephie's face light up when we brought up the underserved. She welcomed the warm embrace of my father and had special conversations about medicine, family, spirituality, and life in general with him. He offered to be a fatherly figure in her life and welcomed to her to the Menke family with a big hug. We all welcomed the love of my life, my life partner and future wife to our home and what a perfect fit. Even my grandmothers wedding ring turned out to be exactly size five and fits perfectly on my love's ring finger. Stephie, you are my cinderella.

Stephie, watching our families unite around our love and sharing time and space with you was incredible. Whether we are on the west coast, in the midwest or on the east coast our love transcends all space and time and our relationship flourishes in all circumstances. The people around us this weekend welcomed our love and responded to us so positively just like every time we are together. It had extra meaning seeing neighbors I have known for years smile warmly while I kissed your hand, family members commenting on our deep mutual affection, and even strangers at Roys restaurant recognizing the love we have for each other and asking if we had just gotten married. Happy anniversary my love: the last fourth months have been the most incredible of my life.

The Inexplainable

We are frequently encountering the most inexplainable events past and present every since we met one another and wanted to list a few here. These events simply reaffirm in my mind the power of consciousness and intention and how the universe delivers if you allow it.

Receiving daily Abraham quotes that feel like summaries of recent discussions with your life partner.

Deja vu's frequently, especially when physically together.

Winning awards or getting paid extra the exact amount of money needed to purchase airfares to see my partner (happened twice!).

About to dial my partner's number when I get a call from her/him (just happened twice in the last 24 hours! 2/15-2/16/12) or receiving calls the minute upon waking up or in times of need (e.g. gastroenteritis).

Sharing childhood stories (e.g. exciting libraries, tents, snuggles) that mirror one another precisely.

Visiting Mount Constitution in the San Juan islands just a few months apart in 2008.

Born just 6 weeks apart (Stephie and I were molded for each in the womb!)

Attending symphony concerts in our respective study abroad locations, London and Berlin, on our own even though no one else was interested in going.

Taking pictures during trips that we cannot recognize as belonging to either one of us in particular.

Bringing up the exact same topics to discuss completely independently (e.g. academic medicine).

A friend from first year of college tells you that she thinks you are going to marry a blonde surfer guy.

Dreaming of getting engaged the night before it truly happens!!!!!!

More to come as they occur!

J and S