Two powerful visions lay groundwork for Bill Kalahurka’s bequest
It happened twice to Bill Kalahurka, experiences of cosmic consciousness so powerful that he remembers vividly the time, place, and circumstances of both.
“The first time I was an exhausted 21-year-old in college,” said the Kansas City businessman who describes himself as slightly more left brained than right, but a seeker of “whole brained” answers to the perennial questions of existence. “I had an experience I can only describe as awe-inspiring. Either it was a spiritual incident or a manic episode, but whatever it was, it was very powerful, a feeling of bliss and of knowing.”
The second time occurred when he was a husband, entrepreneur, and father of three. Eight years ago he sat down on a park bench overlooking a pond, closed his eyes to meditate and felt an overwhelming sense of peace that went far beyond the familiar calm that such reflection often generates.
He is grateful for the encouragement IONS gives to the spiritual explorer within him. That is why he has included IONS in his will. “I talk about things like this with my Kansas City IONS group and they understand,” he said. “They have the same kind of seeking, open-minded attitude toward life.
“One reasons I love IONS is the way it was born,” he said. “Here was Edgar Mitchell, a no-nonsense, analytical scientist on his way back from the moon who has a moment of cosmic consciousness that changes his life. He begins researching right-brained ways of knowing, while using his left-brained scientific training to investigate their validity.”
But if deep spiritual experiences were behind his IONS bequest, practical encouragement was its proximate cause. He recalled talking with former IONS staff member Deborah Miller some years ago about planned giving. “It dawned on me during our conversation that I could do that for IONS. It was so simple.”
He had already included his church in his will. He added a bequest to IONS for a specific dollar amount. “I had been a member of IONS since the early eighties. It was natural for me to want to keep on giving to the cause beyond this particular body/mind’s presence.”
He had long ago dealt with the what-about-my-kids question. “Some people think you’re short changing your children if you leave something to a good cause in your will. You’re not. There’s no way I’m going to cut my children out of my will, but when I give away funds now, I don’t ask my kids for permission. If you love a cause, there’s no reason not to include it in your will. Expressing what you value deeply is part of your children’s inheritance and is an excellent way to teach philanthropy to one’s offspring.”
Bill and Betti, his massage therapist wife of 30 years, have a son who is studying for his PhD in Mathematics at the University of Texas, and two daughters pursuing acting careers. Bill has begun a new venture recently himself, opening a college bookstore near the University of Kansas, “It’s exhilarating, scary, and challenging,” he said. “Just the way I like it.”
IONS is please to list Bill Kalahurka as a member of the Visionary Circle, which honors those who have included IONS in their estate plans. For information on bequests to IONS and Visionary Circle membership, call Kathleen Erickson-Freeman at 707.779.8232 or at KathleenFreeman@noetic.org.
