sharing your survivor story

Are you feeling trapped?
Many times in our lives we feel trapped as if there is no way out of our circumstances. In reality we are trapped by our culture, our heritage, our behaviors, our beliefs, or our thought patterns.
But what if you were really trapped? That is what happened to Edison Pena, 34 a miner in Chile. He was/is one of the 33 miners who were trapped for days but later rescued.
So what did Edison do with his time? He trained to run the NYC marathon. Edison ran 3 to 6 miles a day through the mine shaft. Perhaps you would say he was just running in place and getting no where. He indicated he was running to stay sane and to lift his mood, to kill time.
Edison was running in the dark as many of us feel like we are doing. However, at the NYC marathon he ran and finished, even with bad knees.
I share this story with you to get you to realize there are always choices when we feel trapped.
Do you have the courage to make a choice that could save your life? Edison did--you can too!
Peace,
Don

And so it was on Friday, September 17th, the ten year anniversary of my son's death. It is hard to believe that it has been that long. I can still remember that horrendous day but it doesn't define who I am or how I look at life. Not that I don't miss my son but one cannot, one should not let someone elses' death define your life. I can't bring him back so I must go forward. I am so blessed.
I wish I could turn the pages and undo what has been done but there is no way that can happen so one must go forward. I love you and I miss you son, but I understand why you did what you did more now than before.
Someone once said that death is the window pane (pain) through which we view life--it is so true.
If you have lost a loved one to suicide, unexpected, or a natural death may you find a reason to go on with your life.
Peace

When you are trying to survive life and all its pain, it is important to have some humor to make you smile and remind you that laughter still remains in the world. So I submit the item below to cause you to smile--even if you don't feel like it.
Peace
REPLACEMENT WINDOWS
Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with
that expensive double-pane energy efficient kind, and today, I
got a call from the contractor who installed them. He was
complaining that the work had been completed a whole
year ago and I still hadn't paid for them.
> > >
Hellloooo,............just because I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box
doesn't mean that I am stupid. So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves!
Helllooooo? It's been a year! I told him.
> > >
There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up.
He never called back. I bet he felt like an idiot.

It has been a bad 30 days for attending funerals. Two of the people I have attended church with for a number of years have passed.

The first, Robert, was a quiet man who never complained about being ill and having cancer. Robert was an example of someone who appreciated life and never whined or complained. He had been treated unfairly by a company he worked 30 years for, but he never would mention it. I learned from his wife about the mistreatment. The world we live is full of people who complain (me included) but Robert was not one of them! I will miss seeing you each Sunday morning friend.

Loren was second, and a man who loved the Lord and loved His people. He would hug you in a New York minute, if you got near him. He was talented in woodworking and letting people know he cared about them. Loren was from a generation of men who were not supposed to loving and caring, but he never got the message. He cared deeply and you knew that. Thanks Loren for daring to be different! Sunday morning will not be the same.
Peace

Last Sunday was Mother's Day. It is always sad for me since my mom died when I about 4 years old. I don't remember seeing her or her voice or any interaction at all. I think her loss has impacted my life with a loss of trust. When one's whole world is turned upside down, it is difficult to trust anything.

My only memory is crying and wanting to go to the funeral with my dad. I had the measles and couldn't go.

I have contact information regarding people who knew my mother, but I have not made any contacts. I am reluctant to do so. On one hand I want to learn more but on the other hand I fear I will just hurt more and realize what a wonderful person I missed out on.

If you have lost a parent, I feel for you. If you parent is still alive I urge you to learn as much about them as you can before it is too late. Peace.

For the past few weeks I have been attending cardiac rehab. I walked and they checked my blood pressure and watched my heart work. The most important part of the rehab for the client/patient was being with others who were recovering from a similar event. We talked, compared notes, laughed, and joked about life.

Cardiac rehab for a broken heart (a person experiencing a tremendous loss) would be pretty much the same minus the medical part. Grief rehab would be sharing one's story with those who have experienced grief. One would be laughing and crying about what life has dealt you. To know that other people have survived would be an encouraging factor.

So whether you are suffering from a medical cardiac event or an emotional one. The prescription is the same. Be around people who are recovering, listen to their story, and share yours. peace

When it comes to matters of the heart, things can be tough to survive. This applies to bypass surgery on the real heart and to loss and grief. I had bypass surgery recently and I'm still recovering. My loss of a loved one happened in September of 2000, and I'm doing much better with this one.

Today I read that Marie Osmond's son took his life. How very sad. I have been through this and understand what she must be going through. It will be tough but she will get through it with the help of her family and faith.

If you are dealing with heart issues I hope you hang in there. One minute and one day at a time. Sometimes one day is too long, but don't give up. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Peace!