Sacred Stories
It had been an intense retreat. She was grieving so many recent losses…
Her best friend had passed with ALS. Her brother passed suddenly of a heart attack while climbing the stairs to visit their mother. Then her mother passed from the coronavirus — a virus that prevented her from being able to attend her mother’s funeral.
And now, she was navigating this estrangement from her siblings.
She had been sitting all week, doing Vipassana, being with the pain while wanting freedom from the suffering.
She saw a small plastic picture frame, face-down on the chair. Picking it up, turning it over, she saw it was a drawing of a fish. A hand-made thank you card from a friend. The words read: Gratitude for all your compassionate support.
The card was signed, “Vipassana love, Retha.”
Carefully lettered up the right side of the card, “Emerald Isle 2019.” They had both attended the Emerald Isle retreat last year. Seeing Retha’s card was such a powerful gift!
Retha’s visit was especially welcome as Retha had also passed….
“Whatever has the nature to arise, has the nature to cease, and is not me nor mine.”