I received the following from Joko's son and daughter, and spoke at length with Joko's daughter. Many of you have known Joko, and many have read her books.
The practice at Prairie Zen Center is rooted in her teaching, practice and love. Please appreciate her life and include her in your practice now.
The letter and pictures are self-explanatory.
Bows,
Elihu Genmyo Smith
From Brenda.
My mother, Joko, is now in hospice and I don't expect her to live more than one or two more weeks. I put her into hospice because she was not eating and losing weight. Please know she is completely happy. She gets to lie in her hospital bed and no one is telling she has to get up and walk every hour. No one is asking her to please eat. Now, she will take a few bites of breakfast, and maybe a few bites of her other meals and eat all her vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. She is happy as a clam and, as she told me, will die when she's ready. She says it's soon. If you would like to visit her, there are a few guidelines. Please call her home number (928-778-4841) first and ask the caregiver (Robin, Olivia, Cari or Diane) if it's okay to visit and set up a time. (The caregiver will check with Joko.) When you visit her, a bit of talking is okay if she's up to it, but mostly it's just about being with her. Also, if her caregiver asks you to step out or anything else, please know they have her best interests at heart. If you are out of town and would like to visit, please call her home number to check if a visit is okay. If so, once you get to Prescott, you'll need to call again and see if your scheduled appointment time still works for her. PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE HOUSE UNANNOUNCED. I cannot provide housing. There are a few people in town who have offered a place to sleep if you can't afford a hotel. Please ask for their number to make further arrangements. As you know, My mom loves all of you and we want to accommodate as many visitors as possible as long as she is able. Again, please know she is quite content and without any suffering. I asked her if she had any words for this email and she said for you to figure it out. Thank you and love to you all. Brenda P.S. Fotos taken tonight of Joko enjoying her ice cream. (the flash didn't work all the time)
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PS - If the pictures below do not load for you, they are also to be found at:
http://prairiezen.org/Members/comings_and_goings.html
