A GOOD DEATH

At his 90th birthday party in 2019, Dr. Fritz Smith, the founder of Zero Balancing, said with glee that he’d see us at his 95th birthday.

So, early this May, many of his students gathered excitedly for a workshop at Joshua Tree Retreat Center in California, near where Fritz has lived. He had just done an International zoom call for his 95th birthday. Then on May 6th at the workshop led by two of his closest teachers and friends, Jim McCormick and Michael Oruch, that was attended by many faculty and new and old students, Fritz again met with each of 30 students individually, sitting at his desk in front of his computer, each of us having a chance to say hi and for a brief personal conversation.

The following late morning in class on May 7, we were told they had an announcement. Fritz had died that morning of a heart attack. Most of the U.S. faculty were soon to arrive for the planned birthday party and celebration with Fritz scheduled for May 10, the day before his actual 95th birthday.

The feelings were decidedly mixed. Mourning, happiness that there was no prolonged suffering, gratitude for all that we’d learned from Fritz over the years, and shock from the sudden and unexpected mode of this passing.

 In Zero Balancing we use the word “fulcrum” to denote a touch and experience that evokes a deep letting go of tension through sustained high quality structural and energetic contact. This last fulcrum of Fritz’ life is one we are still integrating.

According to one of his closest friends, Fritz had been taking shamanic lessons online and was doing out of body traveling at night using Jaguar energy as a doorway. He picked up a second spirit animal, the hummingbird, in addition to the Crow.

At our dinner for Fritz on May 10th we all gathered, largely sharing in the joy of being with and learning from Fritz. Our learnings may have even been deepened and amplified by this passing! May we all live a good life and even a good death.

In a light and insightful note from one of our fellow teachers, Judith Sullivan writes: “Be like the salmon who does its most difficult work by going upstream at the end of its life, and if you’ve ever seen them go upstream, you wonder how they do it, and then they have wild sex and then they die. That’s my goal as well. PS, my plan is to die with a smile on my face!”

May we so live with wildness and pass gracefully with smiles when it is our time.  Thank you, Fritz Smith, for your very good life and passing in a manner that was miraculous in its own way.

It adds to the miracle and mystery that the Aurora borealis was visible from Joshua Tree National Park from Friday, May 10 to Saturday May 11.  Fritz certainly would have appreciated this synchronicity.

Adios, Dear Fritz!

Aurora borealis at Joshua Tree, Ca