Life-“Wow! What a Ride!”

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Jan 312018
 

I had the honor to officiate a “Celebration of Life”  for Dot Hussey, my brother-in-law’s mother, this past week.  She was 93 years old, but what life she lived. She married her sweetheart from junior high and lived in California and North Carolina for most of her life. When her husband died, she moved to Greensboro in her 60s to be near her sister after working for over 30 years in the insurance business. Dot started a new career working part-time at the Auto Auction until she was 88. She then moved to Wake Forest to a retirement home, but consistently broke the speed limit with her mobility scooter. She ran it full out as fast as it would go. Dot believed in using your body up before it was time to leave for the spiritual plane and she did just that. This saying was one of Dot’s favorites and fit her to a tee, from Hunter S. Thompson::

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke thoroughly used up , totally worn out and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

 

I believe that we are responsible for our happiness in life. In all areas of our life, we are either changing and growing or becoming stagnant and declining. This life is so precious that we should spend every minute of it finding our joy through work, family, relationships, and health. As we age we see others become less active around us and some even die early. The only thing I fear is the regret of not doing something I wanted to in my life. 

I always wanted to have a child, but I was 42 before my son was born. Many of our friends thought we were a little crazy to have a child at that age but he kept us young.

In my 50’s I was hit with auto-immune arthritis and had a double knee replacement. Six months later, I was white water rafting on Class 5 rapids in West Virginia.  https://aceraft.com/  Now my friends really thought I had lost my mind. My philosophy was why have the surgery if I could not do the things I wanted to do?

Many of us dream about the life we would like to lead, but simply don’t take the first step. Instead of saying “I can’t”, say “what if I did”?  Life consists of many small steps, taking the first one makes all the others easier. These fears don’t just pertain to adventure but also to emotional risk and fear of what others will think. 

I spent 35 years in biochemistry and public health laboratories.  In my 60s I decided to change careers and start an energy healing business from the encouragement of my spiritual mentors, Angela Coulter, http://trinityenergyprogression.com/ and Veronica Vela, http://www.healthecology.com/

 I came out of  the “Spiritual Closet” and became an ordained minister http://www.newearthaquarianchurch.org/

I soon began marrying couples in the community and found a new passion that I would never have believed possible. I truly feel connected to the couples that I  meet and feel honored to marry them. http://www.annmckenzie.net/

I am not sure what new phase of my life will occur in my 70s, but I hope it is as much fun as the others I have tried so far. One thing is for sure, I am always looking for something new to learn or do. After all, that is what makes life interesting. If you want to open up to your intuition and explore all the  possibilities waiting for you,  contact me at http://omnigirl.net/contact/

Celebrating Life Instead of Death

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Dec 062015
 

abrahamlincoln137180Recently I went to a Celebration of Life for my friend’s 34 year old son who died by accident. It was truly a celebration of his life. His friends, brother, father and mother all spoke of his zest for life and how he lived every moment to the fullest. His mother read

“On Children” by Kahlil Gibran

“Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.”

She truly demonstrated her belief that life is a continuous flow of energy of your spirit in this plane and into the spiritual realm. At the end they played “Happy” and everyone danced in the aisles.  I was so overwhelmed by the love felt for this man and how everyone was honored by knowing him.

Twelve years ago, I lost my husband after spending 17 years with him. My son was eight and had to bear losing his father young. It was a sudden death and totally unexpected. Sonny Perkins was such a vibrant man that everyone loved for his generosity. He would cook on the grill and have me to take food to all the single moms in the neighborhood. He was bigger than life and it seemed unreal that he was no longer with us. He made it clear that he wanted to be cremated and did not like funeral homes. So I made the decision to have a graveside service only. I invited people to the house afterwards and told them to” bring a bottle and a story” to celebrate his life. I knew that he would be proud of this decision. It was a very emotional time, but what a fine way to learn more about this man that I loved for many years, by hearing stories of his college days.

In the weeks that followed, I found solace with Wil Perkins’s ( my son) unwavering belief that his father was still with us. I would be crying and he would ask what was the matter. I would say I miss your Dad. Wil would respond “He is right here with us, Mom , you do not need to be sad.” I felt comfort knowing that his spirit would always be with me and  Wil. When you have the privilege of knowing someone intimately and being part of their life, you truly never lose them. You can reach them through dreams, meditation and prayer. You can always talk to them if you are willing to try a new way of communicating. Look for signs and you will see them. Wil and I were standing in the bathroom shortly after his Dad’s death and I was talking about how his Dad would turn off the light to tease me. The next moment the light went out without us touching the switch. We both knew in our heart that his Dad was there.  Sometimes you may see a animal,hear a song or  smell something that reminds you of your loved one just when you need it. Pay attention, they are trying to let you know that they are OK.

Today, I go to another Celebration of Life for my friend, Wendy Brown, who I met 17 years ago at the YMCA water aerobics class. She was one of a kind. We were friends in Goldsboro, and when I moved to Cary, she asked me to attend NC Theater productions with her. Her generosity allowed me to experience  art in many forms, including theater, ballet and symphony. When she found out my college son liked the symphony, she gave him tickets to go and take a friend. She was a generous donor to all the arts, and it was my honor to attend the events with her.  Wendy, Annette, Eric and I could be seen at most NC Theater events. Whenever I think of her, I see her impish smile and revel in her sense of wonder of the arts at every production she attended.

As life goes on, we experience more losses of our loved ones. Celebrating their life in your memories, instead of grieving your loss, can give you great comfort. I know you truly never lose anyone, just their physical form. My Dad died when I was 19 and my Mom when I was 29 but I still see them in my dreams and meditations to this day. When people ask , “How do you get over the loss?” , I respond by saying ” I am so thankful that I had them in my life for even a short while”.  Knowing that their spirit is with me always is a comfort beyond belief.