Life has brought me to my knees again! I am forever grateful for this life and to be alive!
Every email you sent, every word written, every prayer, every thought of love, and every gift in whatever way it was given- it was all received. The power of your love lifted me when I had no strength in my physical body.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you.
No matter the hardships I have endured in 7 weeks of being in the hospital, lying in bed, dependent on nurses 24/7 and the machines I was hooked up to that were saving my life, I did my best to stay in love with myself and with the life that was living and breathing through me. At times, the pain was excruciating, and the strength of spirit was bigger and expanded me into a more grounded and even more compassionate human being, where suffering took me to a place of letting go completely and giving myself to God and the mystery.
As Rumi says so beautifully,
“Last night I begged the Wise One to tell me the secret of the world.
Gently, gently, he whispered,
“Be Quiet, the secret cannot be spoken,
It is wrapped in silence.”
That’s what got me through for sure! To be in the silent presence and the love of my family and friends held me up because I couldn’t do it alone. Even the nurses and doctors were angels. Every day I had to choose life.
I share a passage from my upcoming book that is at the publishers now and it will be available in January!
“I surrender into the softness of my belly where I encounter the pain of my past. The landscape is littered with debris from a lifetime of betrayals and unwise choices. I don’t run from this mess. And as I allow the light from within to illuminate all that is there, it has a cleansing effect. I feel renewed.
When I accept my humanness, I see how fragile living can be, and I realize how precious life is. Now, I can let my body rest and heal. In these days of recovery, I continue to breathe deeply into this feeling of relief. My heart fills with joy, and it sings to me. The music is so beautiful, so sweet, I weep. These tears arise from so deep within. How grateful I am for the gift of more life and opportunities to experience more love in this body.
The life I am living right now on my island, this is my real life, and it is paradise. The universe has conspired to keep me awake and conscious of this fact. The mourning doves remind me, the mockingbirds remind me, the fragrance of the blooming jasmine bushes remind me, the sunlight reminds me, the silence of my morning ritual and the smell of my sweet tea remind me, the pen in my hand, the moisture on my skin, children, my neighbors, and friends living their lives all remind me that life right here, right now, is magnificent.”
I am so filled with gratitude to be alive and to thank everyone for all the love that I feel so deeply. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!
Namaste,
Frannie
