When it gets dark enough, you can see the light

I found meaning in life's challenges and experiences, and know that I'm more than my difficulties and struggles.

Digital art by morysetta( Larisa Murariu)

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Thank you for opening this newsletter today. I wrote it to help you begin to realize that there’s a path to light when your life is dark.

I learned yesterday that my beloved Teddy, our seven-year-old labradoodle, is now in the phase of liver disease. We’ve been working with vets for the last year to understand why his liver enzymes were increasing. But we have been unable to understand it. The vets recommend a liver biopsy, but I’ve decided to do a lot of research to find out if that will ultimately help Teddy. We have pet insurance, but it’s still costly - six thousand dollars!

My mother turned ninety-eight on Halloween. She’s in a memory care facility in Atlanta. My sister, who lives in Atlanta, oversaw the caregivers at mom’s home for eight years. In the last two years, Mom has lived in a memory care facility. It’s been difficult for my sister to manage my Mom life during the last decade. I see my Mom’s passing as a big sadness with grief on the horizon, but work at not suffering in advance.

I’ve flown to Atlanta three to four times a year to see Mom. I wanted to be closer to her as we repaired our relationship during the last decade. I was angry with her for decades and didn’t know why. But I realized, as I did more of my personal work, that she was wounded from her childhood and did the best she could to love us and to make a beautiful home for the four of us kids. I see her now with a heart of compassion.

What this lifetime has taught me is priceless.

What my Higher Power (HP) has shown me is beyond words to describe.

What I know for sure is that I’m not afraid of death after my near-death experience (NDE).

I know that I’m a survivor.

I’m a poster girl for post-traumatic growth.

I choose to believe that everything that’s happened in my life is a gift that I can grow and learn from.

I’ve learned to see in the dark and find the good in challenging life experiences.

I’ve survived three unimaginable traumas to be who I am today.

I know I’m more than my difficulties and struggles.

I’m here to share with you how to survive life’s hardest pain and show you the power of finding your higher Power and higher Self.

I don’t fear life’s most challenging moments anymore; I know I can handle whatever life brings.

I know today that I have the team of powerful allies —angels, spiritual guides and the God of my understanding with me at all times.

This spiritual team paves the way before, during, and after traumas to make it easier for me.

I find the beauty in the darkest times; I can see in the dark now because the light of my Team is always with me.

Once I viewed my life as a tragedy, but now I have spiritual gifts. I’m a stronger person as a result of all that I have survived.

Today, I’m so grateful for the challenges in my life; I wouldn’t trade them at all.

I’ve experienced the divine in my NDE; I know what it feels like to live in the place of my higher Self energy.

I am one of the lucky ones. Gratitude and love helped me heal and survive.

Today, I’m grateful for you and know that you are here because someone in me, perhaps, is something you’re looking for.

I love that you are here. I believe in you and know that you, too, can do hard things. We have to find an example in this lifetime and follow the signs. Thank you for being in my community.

Have a Thanksgiving (if you’re in the U.S.) and practice gratitude for all that you have experienced and for those in your life that you love and call friends.

PLEASE leave me a comment if you enjoyed this post.

XO, Sherold