Powerful intepretations

My friend Lynn and I found this wonderful box set by Debbie Ford called the "Best Year of your Life" at the Sacred Path Bookstore in San Mateo. It's a package that contains 52 cards for each week of the year, a workbook to log your progress and a meditation CD. I decided to gift my friend Marsha with it for her birthday since she's far away in Indiana and this is something we could do together each week. Pick a card and act on it. Last week it was "lighten your load" clearing out physical and emotional excess. Marsha went to town with this suggestion. I only cleared out the trunk of my car and Julia/Kelly's old room but it still felt good to get rid of stuff. The instructions say that if you're not up to a particular card in a week, throw it back and pick a new one. This is such a cool gift for a birthday if the person is really going to do it.

This week it's "Set powerful interpretations" which is to change the way you perceive a past event that was hurtful, painful or embarrassing. I decided on my father's death - I mean, how could you put a positive spin on losing your precious dad at such a young age? Here's what I came up with: Dad died at his birthday celebration, dancing with his friends and family, how wonderful is that? Doing something he loved, what could be better? Dad left us all with his sense of humor which has really come in handy when life gets tough. Even at my mom's funeral we all shared a laugh when Roy Orbison came on singing "Mamaaaaaa" in the limo. Gallows humor. Dad left his wonderful sister Rose and her family to share our lives with us. He maintained his relationships so they would continue with his family after his death. He was a "hands on" dad at a time when not all dads were - he took us all to the beach, including the neighbor kids on his day off. He cooked for us, took us on Sunday drives, to the circus, watched TV with us. One thing I've come to realize that was very special was his patience with my mother's illness. I cannot, for the life of me, ever remember him getting angry with her. He accepted her illness - an amazing feat. One I had great difficulty with myself. I wanted a normal mom. A great lesson for all of us when dealing with mental illness. It is an illness and not something that a person can turn off. He taught us how to love both family and friends. For the short 13 years of our time together, I do have many, many happy memories. Thank you so much Dad. I am grateful for our time together.

It's been said that how a person responds to tragedy will predict how they work their way through it. Look at the positive, the lesson, the things to be grateful for in any given situation.