Beginning of a New Era, and a Message From Ted Kennedy

This blog post should have been posted at the end of August ('09), but I've been too busy with good things. It marks the end of an era for me, and the beginning of a new one.

I'm feeling very healthy (and very grateful to be here!), and have recently returned to my work as an organizational transformation consultant. I am one of ten consultants selected for a pilot project for the Association of Unity Churches International. Our first gathering was a 5-day training at Unity Village in Missouri held Aug. 24-28.

The weekend immediately preceding the training was the third anniversary of my surgery, August 22, and I was doing a lot of reflecting about this journey. The first insight came when I realized that I no longer want to commemorate the date of my surgery, but rather the morning after when I had the powerful blessing of my Oneness experience (detailed below in my Jan. 31 '08 post). So, from now on, I celebrate the anniversary on Aug. 23, which was Sunday, the day before the training.

Although excited about getting back to work, I was having some doubts about whether I was ready for this significant project. On Monday morning when I met the other nine consultants, all extremely accomplished, my anxiety increased. At the end of the first day, I was having serious doubts and began to consider whether I should pull out. I prayed and meditated, which led to a commitment to myself that I would give my best, and not make any decision until the training was completed.

It was Wednesday at lunchtime when I heard that Ted Kennedy had left us the night before. Because he and I had been given the same diagnosis (Stage IV GBM in the left parietal lobe), the news hit me especially hard. Now, as I was deliberating about my possible role in this project I was also thinking about Ted and his life. A new thought emerged and joined the others, "I wonder what Ted might say to me, if he were here."

Thursday morning I stopped by the Unity Village bookstore to get coffee before heading to the training room. As I entered the bookstore my attention was attracted to a rotating rack of notecards with different quotations. One in particular pulled me in; it seemed somehow "brighter" or more illumined than the rest. When I was a dozen feet away I could make it out. It said, "Have faith in yourself and in the future." I thought, "This is the perfect message for me to hear right now. This is the re-minder and en-couragement I need. I wonder who said it." I moved to the rack and picked up the card. At the bottom in small letters was the attribution: Ted Kennedy.

From that encounter, I found my courage and faith. I willingly and completely embraced the project. I am now very happily and very effectively working with my assigned church, Unity Church of North Idaho. Together, we are living ever more fully the Unity movement vision: "Centered in God, we co-create a world that works for all."

I feel that I have closed out an era, one marked primarily by my medical adventure, and have begun a new era, one dedicated to joyfully fulfilling my purpose here on Earth.

Love, Blessings, and Blue Skies,
Rich

Another clear MRI, and another great dream.

Just back from Duke Medical Center last week for my routine 3-month followup MRI. Results were clear again! So very glad to still be here, on our stunningly beautiful Earth, having this wondrous human experience. Everyday I feel more and more connected to all that is.

First, a few words about terminology, and the power of choosing your own. A "clear" MRI is not the label the doctors use. They use the word "stable", i.e. no changes, for this best possible result. I won't argue with the perhaps greater precision or accepted medical denotation of their term, but I do pay attention to the subtle emotional impact for me of "stable." To me, "stable" implies a temporary state than could just as easily switch to "unstable." For me, "clear" says, "it is gone, it is over." I much prefer, and choose to use my term of "clear." I am ever more convinced of the importance of "creating my own story" of healing as a way of interpreting the details of my healing journey.

And, two nights prior to my MRI, I received the blessing of another foretelling dream. (See the description of my first great presaging dream in my Feb. 1, 2008 post, below.)

Here's the dream: Ruth Ann and I are on a hike, a "journey," through a meadow. The path starts going around a mountain next to the sea. The track gets very narrow and treacherous as it climbs and circles around the mountain. Precipitous drop off. Very dangerous. Very scary. We don't really have a choice so we summon our courage and push on. Finally, blessedly, the track begins to widen and flatten out. We continue forward and come to a place where we can look down onto a beautiful harbor with about 30 boats, as beautiful as any harbor we've ever seen. We walk down to the harbor and discover its name is Snug Harbor. We stay there for a very pleasant, restoring afternoon. Refreshed, we start out on the trail again. It leads through another meadow. Then, as the trail begins to rise, I realize that we are going around in a circle and will be encountering the dangerous stretch again. I stop us and say, "We don't have to go this way again. We've learned all that we need to learn from that experience." We turn back and return to the Snug Harbor.

I am so amazed and so appreciative for the inner wisdom that comes when we quiet our minds though meditation, dreams, prayer, other methods. May we all be blessed by listening to our "still small voice."

Blue Skies,
Rich