the cure for sagging spirits

 

This week I'm back at Omega Institute for Holistic studies for the annual Narrative Healing Conference. I was just here last month for a storytelling conference, but that was an impulsive and light-hearted indulgence. This is different. We won't be learning about setting, or plot points, or character development this week. We won't be debating the finer points of grammar, punctuation, or sentence structure. Nor will we be discussing the publishing industry, marketing, or self-promotion. No, this is a deeply reflective, empowering, and grounding experience that is designed to animate creative expression and bolster the sagging spirits of kindred souls--healthcare providers and people with an illness narrative they need to share with the world.

"The healing that can grow

out of the simple act of telling our stories

is often quite remarkable."

~Susan Wittig Albert~

Wait a minute. Did I say sagging spirits?

Yes, I think I did. It happens to all of us from time to time. It’s the price we pay for loving others, for caring about them, and for dreaming about an uncertain future. It’s the burden of disappointment, frustration, and rejection that drags us down. Sometimes we just need a little “pick-me-up,” or a little something to “settle-me-down.” Or both.  Something to motivate or inspire us. Affirmation. Acceptance. Encouragement.

Because of the pandemic, it has been a while since I've indulged myself this way. Luckily, I haven’t felt the need to be encouraged or energized about writing. That’s how I feel every time I sit down to work. I can’t wait to get started in the morning, and I tend to have two or three projects in mind at all times. Writing, it seems, is the easy part; life—not so much.

In  just the past few weeks, I learned that a friend is losing her courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. Another one just found out that the unusual symptoms he has been trying to ignore for a while are the result of ALS. My son is looking at knee surgery--AGAIN! Another friend was admitted to ICU last week with blood clots in his leg and bilateral pulmonary emboli. He's in ICU, and he has no health insurance. Two people I know are looking ahead to open heart surgery because of aortic valve problems.

"If your friend is sick and dying,

the most important thing he wants is

not an explanation.

He wants you to sit with him."

~Lee Strobel~

My heart aches at the cold hard truth of suffering, especially when physical pain is aggravated by fear, grief, anger, guilt, shame, or denial...which is often the case. As healers we can't hide behind our computer screens, and pretend that psychological, emotional, and spiritual suffering aren't part of the problem, simply because they're not part of the EMR. Our comforting words, a simple touch, and the time we spend at the bedside remain life-sustaining balms even when healing is not likely. 

"We're all just walking each other home."

~Ram Dass~

 

That may sound easy enough, but it isn't easy at all. Bearing a loved one's suffering can be harder than shouldering your own. It can leave you  feeling frustrated. Helpless. Uncertain. Spent. And this is why spirits sag...

...which is why I’m at my favorite place this week. To restore what is depleted. To gather courage. To reflect on the process of healing in all its guises. To prepare myself for what I fear lies ahead for people I love. To support them in any way I can.

What do you do to revive your withering spirits? Where do you turn for help? What are you waiting for?

“Good writing is not about good grammar.

Good writing is about truth.”

~Nancy Slonim Aronie~

jan