Letter from my past

Dear Newman,

Whatever the circumstances or the degree of the betrayal, every situation is like an onion skin with many, many layers, and our task is to stay present as long as it takes to peel away as many of those layers as possible. In this process there's always a teaching. It's rarely the one we thought we signed up for and seldom one we would have chosen. If we can hold onto the idea that every moment in our lives is potentially teaching us something, and that we always have some choices in the matter, we can hold ourselves open instead of collapsing around our pain, suffering and sense of betrayal.

Trust in the ebb and flow of life is essential to our well-being. We trust that the tides will rise and fall, that the sun will come up each morning and the seasons will follow each other. Can we trust that there is meaning and wisdom in the ebb and flow, the gifts and losses, of our lives? And can we include betrayal in that trust? Loss brings us to our knees. Faith in our constantly changing fortunes - trust in our singular life force - raises us up again.

In most situations, we're taught to hold on so tightly to what we have that any time we lose hold, we suffer - even if what we've lost was causing us pain.

Take a deep breath. Let your chest open and expand and fill with air. Let it out. Take another breath as you think about the blame and anger that often accompany loss. As you breathe in, consider the idea that when we're in pain, we need to find the source of that pain before we know what steps to take to heal.

Sincerely,

Kelvin