I’m spending a week at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck NY co-leading an Opening the Heart Workshop Training Group. Its a lot less demanding than teaching the 5 week Summer Arts Camp that concluded last Saturday. The huge benefit of being here is getting to spend time with my “support group”, who just happen to be my co-leaders of the group. I have been close with Jon, Linda, Laury and Donna for over 20 years and during that time have shared many ups and downs on life’s roller coaster. What we bring to each other is a profound, nourishing and sustaining sense of loving presence and support. I am grateful for this opportunity to spend an extended length of time with them as I prepare for treatment. In a sense they are my extended family providing just what I need at this time.
An interesting event took place towards the end of today. A woman visitor to Omega asked to have the opportunity of speaking with me. When we talked she revealed that she had two or three times experienced a strong image of me “carrying something dark and heavy in my abdominal area”. She also felt that I had 95% accepted its presence there and was “in a dance” with it. Of course I suspected that she must have read this blog, but she assured me she had not. Her psychic abilities seem to be acute. I was interested to hear her say that she did not think that I would die of prostate cancer.
Peter, your psychic friend obviously hit a nerve that you are going to have to evaluate. I found it important to analyze such events.
Did you read my piece titled The Realization. It led me to m truth.
Wow Greg, what a story!
So many things about it impress me:
Your choice and ability to be there with Cheryl
The pain you must have experienced as you witnessed her death and the grief you experienced afterwards.
Your openness in sharing this intimate story now.
The affirming and loving exchange with you daughter
are just a few of the things that moved me.
I never had a close family member or friend die when I was younger. I was well on into my 30’s when my mom passed – and I was 5,000 miles away at the time. My dad died when I was 43 – and again I was on another continent when it happened. I have felt guilt and regret that I wasn’t with either of them when they moved on. As I go through the “empty nest” period of watching my own daughter gradually assume her independence, living “away from home”, I have a much stronger understanding of what my absence must have felt like to my folks back then.
Greg – thank you for continuing to monitor my posts with greater frequency that I manage to keep up with yours. I so appreciate your presence on this journey
Peter
Looking back, I consider myself lucky having experienced the death of someone close when I was so young. I am sure that you cannot begin to ‘live’ until you have experienced an emotional trauma of that magnitude.
You hang in there Peter and do the proton beam therapy in style as I can see you will.