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Having Your Joy by Hope Hewetson |
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recently had the honor of helping a lifelong friend with her healing
process with breast cancer. We have been friends since kindergarten, living
in different points of the globe most of the time, but always in touch and
up for adventure when we can get together. In a recent energy session, she
looked at the changes she is choosing as a result of the cancer. Every
experience in our life offers opportunity for growth. It's hard to ignore
the implications of this when faced with death at 44 years old. It can be a
terrifying experience, with the feeling of losing control. My friend said it
made her realize that she can't control everything in her life, some things
just happen. I agreed with her and helped her see it a step further. Perhaps
this happened to help her STOP trying to control so many aspects of her
life. Now, what is it she wants to do with that level of new control? In
other words, on one level, the cancer made her feel out of control, which is
something she resisted. She used a lot of her energy to control her external
life, a defense mechanisam to help shield her from buried pain and fear.
Now, she's excited about looking at what that energy can be used to create in her life'a new job, more creativity, a loving relationship! It's really exciting.
She also noted that when she looks at families and their children, she feels that they experience a joy that she misses out on - it's like it's out of her arms reach. Her friends who are in loving relationships seem to have something that she doesn't. She was aware of feeling like that joy was external to her, and could only be experienced by having a relationship or a child.
It was a great reminder to me to help her see that she IS that joy, 100 percent. Knowing her for so long, it is reflected in her home's whimsical decor and artwork, her creative clothes and her sense of humor. Through her job (even though it's something that she's ready to shift) she has been of service to the environment of planet Earth. She is an incredible writer and photographer. We've enjoyed music together as singers and listening, from Prince to Samuel Barber. She has literally traveled all over the world, and loves Austin Powers movies AND Jane Austen. (This is a special criteria that just a few of us fit into!)
Sometimes, there is a veil that sits between our joy as a spirit, and the reality of experiencing that more on a day-to-day basis. We are not meant to define ourselves by the limitations of our family, society, or past relationships. It takes courage to delve into the depths of our joy and experience more of what makes us each a unique and valuable person on this planet, on our terms. My friend is choosing to do this, and I admire her for it, and thank her for all that her journey contributes to the planet. I'm pleased to write this in honor of her continued healing.
-Rev. Hope Hewetson
