On Wednesday, January 5th at 2:10 am, Erika Hastings Adlparvar passed from this material realm, fully transitioning as she took flight towards the spiritual horizons beyond, her light given freedom to shine brighter than ever before. Within minutes of doing so, she was surrounded by family pouring forth prayers calling on God and Baha’u’llah to add wind to her wings.
It is a strange position to be in; heartbreak for the loss of one so dear, heartache for the timing of one so young, sorrow for the wisdom and love that will no longer be forthcoming in the way we have all been so blessed to receive over the last 45 plus years of her life… and yet relief for an end to the suffering Erika endured, gratitude for her release from the straining limitations of this physical plane, excitement for the unfathomable service her soul will now undoubtedly be called to.
Pain and solace. Grief and comfort. Sadness and joy.
A reminder of the essential harmony created between both states. A balancing act reflected so seamlessly through Erika’s shining example. She helped so many of us acknowledge, feel and process deep hurt and suffering. Then facilitate the bridges that connected us to the love, happiness and light still present within.
This is what made Erika such a powerful force in so many of our lives. She was a healer. But not just of the body. She was a salve for the heart and soul that uplifted our own through embracing the spirit of the cleansing tears brought on through sadness and joy.
As we are once again awash with both, for our loss of the irreplaceable gift Erika was to each of us and acknowledgement for the great leap she’s made to the next stage of her brilliant life, let us draw strength from what she so lovingly taught us. Through it, healing will begin. And the tears will water the rich soil of our lives, that she believed in so strongly and worked tirelessly to support, for the blossoming growth to come.
On behalf of her husband Chris and her children Isabella, Diego and Fiona, a deeply heartfelt thank you filled with such immense gratitude for the generous contributions donated so far by all here on this GoFundMe. It has already been an immense help to support the material needs of going through this process of Erika’s passing.
If any are inspired to send flowers or other gifts of condolence, the most impactful offering that could be made is still here to the GoFundMe. Because it directly supports the unfolding growth of those she leaves behind and would want nothing more than to see bloom to their brightest potential!
In addition to Chris & the kids, a most heartfelt thank you on behalf of her father Richard, her mother Debby, her sister Juliet and the rest of her beloved family for the outpouring of prayers. All have felt viscerally sustained through this very challenging time by the vitalizing spirit of love and thoughts being sent through them.
If any are moved to be a part of the ceremony for Erika’s final resting place from afar, the funeral service will be at 1:00 pm PST and the burial will be at 2:00 pm PST. All prayers and devotions in Erika’s memory are most welcomed.
Thank you again, and may we all continue to reflect the bright light Erika shared so selflessly and generously with us all.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hamiltonharronfunerals.com for the Hastings Adlparvar family. We ask that if you wish to send flowers, that instead you share a donation at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-erika-and-her-family-as-they-battle-illness
You can watch a video of the funeral service here: https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/43613 and view the pictures shared of Erika here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvjZzJH_INg
Below are the Baha'i prayers and readings shared during Erika's funeral service.
FUNERAL SERVICE
“I came forth from God, and return unto Him, detached from all save Him, holding fast to His Name, the Merciful, the Compassionate."
Prayer -
O Thou Provider, O Thou Forgiver! A noble soul hath ascended unto the Kingdom of reality and hastened from the mortal world of dust to the realm of everlasting glory. Exalt the station of this recently arrived guest and attire this long-standing servant with a new and wondrous robe.
O Thou Peerless Lord! Grant Thy forgiveness and tender care so that this soul may be admitted into the retreats of Thy mysteries and may become an intimate companion in the assemblage of splendours. Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, the Ever-Loving. Thou art the Pardoner, the Tender, the Most Powerful.
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Prayer -
O Lord, O Thou Whose mercy hath encompassed all, Whose forgiveness is transcendent, Whose bounty is sublime, Whose pardon and generosity are all-embracing, and the lights of Whose forgiveness are diffused throughout the world! O Lord of Glory! I entreat Thee, fervently and tearfully, to cast upon Thy handmaiden who hath ascended unto Thee the glances of the eye of Thy mercy. Robe her in the mantle of Thy grace, bright with the ornaments of the celestial Paradise, and, sheltering her beneath the tree of Thy oneness, illumine her face with the lights of Thy mercy and compassion.
Bestow upon Thy heavenly handmaiden, O God, the holy fragrances born of the spirit of Thy forgiveness. Cause her to dwell in a blissful abode, heal her griefs with the balm of Thy reunion, and, in accordance with Thy will, grant her admission to Thy holy Paradise. Let the angels of Thy loving-kindness descend successively upon her, and shelter her beneath Thy blessed Tree. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful.
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Prayer -
O Thou Kind Lord! This dearly cherished maidservant was attracted to Thee, and through reflection and discernment longed to attain Thy presence and enter Thy realms. With tearful eyes she fixed her gaze on the Kingdom of Mysteries. Many a night she spent in deep communion with Thee, and many a day she lived in intimate remembrance of Thee. At every morn she was mindful of Thee, and at every eve she centered her thoughts upon Thee. Like unto a singing nightingale she chanted Thy sacred verses, and like unto a mirror she sought to reflect Thy light.
O Thou Forgiver of sins! Open Thou the way for this awakened soul to enter Thy Kingdom, and enable this bird, trained by Thy hand, to soar in the eternal rose garden. She is afire with longing to draw nigh unto Thee; enable her to attain Thy presence. She is distraught and distressed in separation from Thee; cause her to be admitted into Thy Heavenly Mansion.
O Lord! We are sinners, but Thou art the Forgiver. We are submerged in the ocean of shortcomings, but Thou art the Pardoner; the Kind. Forgive our sins and bless us with Thine abundant grace. Grant us the privilege of beholding Thy Countenance, and give us the chalice of joy and bliss. We are captives of our own transgressions, and Thou art the King of bountiful favors. We are drowned in a sea of iniquities, and Thou art the Lord of infinite mercy. Thou art the Giver, the Glorious, the Eternal, the Bounteous; and Thou art the All-Gracious, the All-Merciful, the Omnipotent, He Who is the Bestower of gifts and the Forgiver of sins. Verily, Thou art He to Whom we turn for the remission of our failings, He Who is the Lord of Hosts.
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Prayer -
O my God, Thy Trust hath been returned unto Thee. It behooveth Thy grace and Thy bounty that have compassed Thy dominions on earth and in heaven, to vouchsafe unto Thy newly welcomed one Thy gifts and Thy bestowals, and the fruits of the tree of Thy grace! Powerful art Thou to do as Thou willest, there is none other God but Thee, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Bestower, the Pardoner, the Precious, the All-Knowing.
-Bahá’u’lláh
Reading -
Why should thou be sad and heartbroken? This separation is temporal; this remoteness and sorrow is counted only by days. Thou shalt find him in the Kingdom of God and thou wilt attain to the everlasting union. Physical companionship is ephemeral, but heavenly association is eternal. Whenever thou rememberest the eternal and never-ending union, thou wilt be comforted and blissful.
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, V1, p. 99
Reading -
As to the question whether the souls will recognize each other in the spiritual world: This fact is certain; for the Kingdom is the world of vision where all the concealed realities will become disclosed. How much more the well-known souls will become manifest. The mysteries of which man is heedless in this earthly world, those he will discover in the heavenly world, and there will he be informed of the secret of truth; how much more will he recognize or discover persons with whom he hath been associated. Undoubtedly, the holy souls who find a pure eye and are favoured with insight will, in the kingdom of lights, be acquainted with all mysteries, and will seek the bounty of witnessing the reality of every great soul. Even they will manifestly behold the Beauty of God in that world. Likewise will they find all the friends of God, both those of the former and recent times, present in the heavenly assemblage.
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith, p. 367
Hidden Word -
O companion of my Throne! …Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore.
-Bahá’u’lláh
Reading -
O my servants! Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you. Worlds, holy and spiritually glorious, will be unveiled to your eyes. You are destined by Him, in this world and hereafter, to partake of their benefits, to share in their joys, and to obtain a portion of their sustaining grace. To each and every one of them you will no doubt attain.
-Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p.329
Reading -
A friend asked: “How should one look forward to death?” He answered: “How does one look forward to the goal of any journey? With hope and with expectation. It is even so with the end of this earthly journey. In the next world, man will find himself freed from many of the disabilities under which he now suffers. Those who have passed on through death, have a sphere of their own. It is not removed from ours; their work, the work of the Kingdom, is ours; but it is sanctified from what we call ‘time and place.’ Time with us is measured by the sun. When there is no more sunrise, and no more sunset, that kind of time does not exist for man. Those who have ascended have different attributes from those who are still on earth, yet there is no real separation.
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 95
Reading -
And now concerning thy question regarding the soul of man and its survival after death. Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. It will manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving kindness and bounty.
-Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 155
Reading -
O Lord of love, Giver of Knowledge!
The twilight of Thy dawn breaks upon my soul, and the shadows of illusion flee before the white arrows of Thy Truth. Slowly knowledge widens. Unfamiliar meanings gleam from familiar things. Hidden chambers of treasure open before the outstretched hand of thought. I feel like a child carried by magic into a far, strange land. Breathless with astonishment, I behold wonders leap into being everywhere in endless variety. But always the way of Truth is love, the key of Truth is love, and Truth’s own self is love.
-George Townshend, Mission of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 123
Story -
A woman, full of sorrow and despair, came to 'Abdu'l-Baha:
"I pray you remove my doubt, and give me consolation, I have lost my beloved husband."
The Master answered her:
If you have a bed of lilies-of-the-valley that you love and tenderly care for, they cannot see you, nor can they understand your care, nevertheless, because of that tender care, they flourish.
So it is with your husband. You cannot see him, but his loving influence surrounds you, cares for you, watches over you.
They, who have passed into the Divine Garden, pray for us there, as we pray for them here."
-Lady Blomfield, The Chosen Highway, p. 215
Prayer -
O my God, O Forgiver of sins and Dispeller of afflictions! O Thou Who art pardoning and merciful! I raise my suppliant hands to Thee, tearfully beseeching the court of Thy divine Essence to forgive, through Thy mercy and pardon, Thy handmaiden who hath ascended unto the seat of truth. Cause her, O Lord, to be overshadowed by the clouds of Thy bounty and favor, immerse her in the ocean of Thy forgiveness and clemency, and enable her to enter the sanctified abode, Thy heavenly Paradise.
Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Compassionate, the Generous, the Merciful.
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Poem by Erika Hastings Adlparvar-
"I heard the wind whisper my name.
It had fragments of rain and bits of debris, but I listened just the same.
It said to me, 'if only you knew the place we've been.
We could tell you a story that would make your head spin.'
I closed my eyes and joined them there.
And finally my sights became aware of a little girl that lived in the snow blossomed air.
She gave me a kiss and my heart stirred within.
'Come join me, let's dance through the windy night air."
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