Some Kind of Heaven

To me, Bill Mitchell was the heart and soul.

I first witnessed the miracle that he was when, in my first year; he led one of the Gatherings. He spoke deliberately, listening deeply inward, as if sifting through his thoughts for the best and truest words. He talked about trees being the lungs of the world, and we naturopaths were part of the earth’s immune system.

Later that year I enrolled in one of his classes; it was called something beautiful like Landscapes of the Mind. He was my source of inspiration as I was deluged from all sides with hard knowledge. One lecture was so infused with Spirit that I felt he had ordained us into sacred contract, and was sending us off into the world on a mission. I went up to thank him, and he simply nodded and said, with the slightest of twinkles, "Have fun."

I’ve been blessed to have him as a teacher again this year. His laugh has been my medicine: his dark blue eyes shining, his face beaming with so much light that I cannot help but laugh for joy. I can only describe it as a piece of some kind of heaven.

Now Dr. Mitchell has died. I will never hear the comforting, thoughtful rumble of his voice again, except in my memory. He probably never knew my name, but his will echo through my life.

Teray Garchitorena, ND Candidate 2007
January 26, 2007