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I Believe

November 29, 2008 by John Pete, GC-C  
Filed under Featured Articles, Spiritual

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By John Pete –

I believe I will see my loved ones again and it is that, among other things, which allows me to heal and gives me the courage to journey forward.

I believe there is a profound reason for life and death, perhaps purposely beyond our understanding.

I believe that moving forward is about creating opportunities for spiritual growth, and not just going through the motions of another day.

I believe that life’s events are a classroom, and not some meaningless cosmic joke.

I believe that love is profoundly connected to the meaning of life, and not just an empty phenomenon that rewards us with great joy, only to take it away with much pain .

I have to believe. For without believing, each passing day serves only to take me ever-further away from my loved ones; instead of leading me on an incredible journey back to them.

Yes, I believe.

 

John Pete, GC-C, is a Certified Grief Counselor and Founder of www.MyGriefSpace.Net

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One Day I Decided To Quit… by Donna W

November 16, 2008 by Guest Post  
Filed under Faith and Religion, Grief and Faith, Grief and Loss

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My daughter Dawn, passed away from a third bout of leukemia on August 12, 2007 at the age of 36. She suffered from it as a child at 13 and beat it but after 20 years it reappeared. She fought a very courageous battle. I’ll always love her and miss her!

Here is a little story that she found and thought a lot about. I read it in her honor at the “Celebration of Life” we had for her. I think the story tells it like it is. The author is unknown. (Submitted by Donna W)

One day I decided to quit…
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality…I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
‘God’, I asked, ‘Can you give me one good reason not to quit?’
His answer surprised me…
‘Look around’, He said. ‘Do you see the fern and the bamboo?’
‘Yes’, I replied.
‘When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
It’s brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
‘In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit.
In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit.’ He said.
‘Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant…But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.’
He asked me, ‘Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots’.
‘I would not quit on the bamboo.
I will never quit on you.’
‘Don’t compare yourself to others.’
He said.
‘The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful.’
‘Your time will come’, God says to us,
‘NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!

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Rebalancing After Loss

November 2, 2008 by John Pete, GC-C  
Filed under Grief and Loss

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I believe in some ways grief must be like losing a limb. In the aftermath, you have lost something you can never get back, and each new day thereafter, brings one sad reminder of your loss after another. You suddenly are faced with the stark realization that whatever or whomever is missing, was so necessary to your daily being; to a degree that you likely never had to contemplate before.

In order to move forward after a profound loss, we must work to rebalance our lives. And in order to accomplish this we my painfully change the focal point from what is missing to what is not; with the goal that we will someday be whole again.

John Pete, GC-C is the founder of MyGriefSpace.Net Peer Support Community and Blogger for OpenToHopeFaith.com Spiritual Blog site.  

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