A few weeks ago, I was excitedly preparing for vacation. As I began to clean out my small travel purse, I felt something very soft in the pocket. I reached in further only to pull something out and immediately, a flood of emotion swept over me. In that pocket was a dove’s feather; more specifically, the feather I wrote about in my blog last year “Know That Love Will Prevail…and Wait for the Miracles to Occur”. That precious feather represented everything I call “real” in my everyday life: Love, Peace, Acceptance, Detachment, the Art of Knowing, and the Law of Attraction (to name a few!).
It was a year ago this month that I was 1300 miles away from my father, wondering whether he was going to live or die. I had no idea what was ahead of me. I was afraid. I was attached to a desired outcome; I knew I couldn’t handle losing my best friend. Unbeknownst to me, I was on a journey to wake up, a lotus in the mud preparing to emerge; yet all I could feel was the heaviness of the mud that surrounded me and weighed me down.
Little did I know that I was at the beginning of a transformational journey and that in process, I would become the most authentic “me” that I ever could imagine; and (even better!) that right along with me, my father would transform as well.
My father’s progress has been extraordinary and nothing short of miraculous; there are no other words to describe it. One year ago, he was unable to walk or eat on his own. When he arrived in Ohio, he was barely able to navigate his own apartment. In February, he was strong enough mentally and physically to move to Assisted Living where residents required less intensive care. Soon afterwards, it was clear that Dad was ready for much more independence; two weeks ago, he moved into Independent Living where he is able to care for himself in every sense of the word.
In his new space, we have spent a great deal of time reminiscing about the past year, the miraculous sequence of events and the fact that he has a clean bill of health and a new lease on life. I remain in awe (yet grateful) that the entire transition process from Key West to Ohio is still a blur in his mind. When I share my father’s progress with others, I often receive a stare of disbelief. “HOW?” they ask.
There have been many stories told and articles written on awakenings, but the best way I can describe it is through my own experience. The difference between one year ago and today is the difference between night and day. The journey to arrive here was nothing less than difficult, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Yesterday’s journey was a journey of fear. Today, we walk each day knowing that love will prevail.
When we live in love and in a space of knowing instead of living in fear, life changes dramatically.
Fear-based living does not let go of objects, people, places. A love-based existence detaches and knows that a situation will turn out exactly as it’s supposed to.
Fear says “I might die,” or “I might not get any better than this.” Love knows and says, “I will fully recover and become my most authentic self in the process.”
Imperfections or “not measuring up” are glorified in a space of fear. Knowing you are more than good enough is glorified in a space of love.
Worrying about having enough money to cover the bills evolves from fear. Living in gratitude and abundance evolves from a day-to-day immersion in unconditional love and knowing all needs will be met.
Fear avoids the future. Love embraces it.
I know there are readers who have personally walked through hell and back and others who are doing so now. You may read this and find the approach absolutely ridiculous and too easy. To that, I say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.
Over the past year, there were days where I was afraid.
There were days when I cried.
There were days when I was angry…VERY angry.
Mostly, there were days when I had no idea what to do.
On those days, I allowed my emotion to enter, to penetrate, to pass.
Then, I trusted that my father and I would be loved, cared for and blessed.
I put unconditional love into the universe and freely accepted unconditional love from God.
Then, and only then did I KNOW that all would be well and that love would prevail…
And I was right.
