The Book of Awakening

There is a book that I was given by my friend called The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo.  My first girlfriend in the 7th grade actually got if for me in 2009 when I was going through a rough patch. and when I was upside down in my thoughts.  The writing on the inside always provides inspiration.

To Chad,

My dear friend and my spiritual soul mate.  You have been the Yin to my Yang and kept me going when I couldn't take another step.  May this book guide you as you have guided me.  

With love and Respect,

Shannon 2009

So tonight I picked up the book and opened to todays chapter and todays title is: Healing Ourselves

"In this world, hate never yet dispelled hate.  Only love dispels hate, This is the law, ancient and inexhaustible~Buddha

One of the most difficult things about healing from being hurt by others is how to put wounds to rest when those who have hurt us will not give air to the wound, will not admit to their part in causing the pain.  I have struggled with this deeply.  Time and again, I find myself confusing the want for justice with the need for a witness of the wound.

Physical wounds are hard to miss, but emotional wounds are seldom visible.  This is why they must be looked at and acknowledged if we are ever to heal.  Yet so often, our pain is compounded by the very human fact that we man never agree on the nature of what happened.  If we do, we may never admit it to each other.  Or the amends we feel we so deserve may go with the hurtful one to the grave.

As with so many other crucial negotiations of life, what's required is to honor what lives within us.  We must bear witness to ourselves, for there is no power as embracing or forgiving as the authority of that portion of God that live in each of us

• Sit quietly until you begin to feel safe, and bring into view a wound that hasn't healed


• Breathe steadily and look directly at the wound, bearing witness to yourself and all you've been though


• Breathe fully, and let your compassion for yourself be the air to cleanse the wound."

So in light of my recent events I need to look at my wounds and acknowledge them before I can move on. I may never figure out the real reason for the separation.  I may speculate on what happened, but the truth is, to me, universal timing was not right.  Things don't happen on my time but rather the universes time.  When I am ready, the universe may not be ready and vice versa.  Keep this in mind if you get hurt and keep in perspective that you may not always get the answer you deserve, but rather the answer you need.

Until next time...