January 2010

Offer for You

I appreciate so much the comment I received from Debbie, please take time to read it. I have been thinking now for 2 days about what I can do here for those who have been willing to donate to the people of Haiti.  I came up with an offer I’d like to give you.  Before I speak about that, though, I want to preface it with what I felt drawn to do the second I first heard about the devastation there.  I felt strongly I needed to go to the airport, fly there and just go to all the people I could, those lying in the streets, crying under rocks, children, adults, anyone I could find and hold their hand or their shoulder.  I felt they were so scared, so much in shock, and so disoriented by everything they saw and felt during the earthquake that what they most could use right then was comfort of some kind, a soothing hand, not to lie and say it was all okay – of course it wasn’t and still isn’t, not that, but, without saying a word, just having someone there for a time could somehow help.Or, I’d pray for them right there, or sing with them some spiritual or…. It didn’t matter so much what I would do or not do, it was my presence re-presenting the Presence that I felt so strongly about.  That image I had haunted me for days.  I knew I couldn’t land, no commercial flight could.  I had many patients here that I didn’t want to desert, but I still felt that helplessness that I’m sure many of you felt. 

Now, I know there are a few pockets of deep reverence for life that the people I spoke about 2 days ago are experiencing.  I am thrilled.  It certainly moved me to tears.  They know what they are to do, even in the midst of this horror – sing praise for their life, for life itself, for others’ lives.

I want to offer you, those of you who live in the Los Angeles area, a consult with me if you have donated at least $200. to a charity or organization that you know is all going to the people of Haiti.  I have been in practice for over 18 years, am an expert in many areas, have written 2 books, etc, you can read about all that on my website.  Right now, that doesn’t matter except you may want to come more if you know you will get what you walk into my office to receive.  I will give you this free consult for the fee I usually charge patients if that money has gone to Haiti in some direct way.  My website tells you where my offices are and phone number or e-mail to use to let me know you would like to receive this offer.  There just needs to be some way you can assure me you actually did donate this money – so perhaps you can figure out how to show me that was done.

I am of course grateful to all of you who sent anything to these people in their time of great need AND the time of enormous will to live for weeks under the rubble, one or two being recovered just today.  It truly astounds me to hear about these people.  It is inspiring, to say the least, and has me wondering how many people in the world could have done that.  Could you?  Naturally we can’t really answer that unless we get into that same situation at some point.  But, how strong is your desire to live, not just exist, but actually live out loud every ounce of you every moment of your life?

What I Learned from the People of Haiti

Everyone knows that there is always a gift in a crisis.  I watched this last week, every time I had the opportunity, the devastation in Haiti.  I mean, who could miss that.  But, I saw something else that brought me to tears many times.  I caught a glimpse of the resilience present in so many.  I saw their Spirits, their Essence leading the way for them, including the ones who were recovered after 9 days, 11 days – alive when they “should” not have been able to survive.  What kept them breathing?  What brought them through?  The strength of what we all have inside but many don’t stay aware of it.  We have a Soul that can pull us through things we find unimaginable to have to bear.  Do you use it or just give into your pain or despair or hopelessness at  moments when what you perceive as awful is happening to you in your own life?  

As 56 orphans were flying to the US, none having ever been on a plane before, none knowing about how loud an old military plane can sound, or the turbulence, or…  Did you hear what these 56 children did?  Not one of them cried, not one of them screamed.  Instead, they sang, they were joyous, they knew many spiritual songs and their voices filled the plane with faith, anticipation, gratefulness – for what?  FOR LIFE, FOR A CHANCE TO KEEP LIVING.  

In another part of Haiti a group had gathered at a cemetery.  To cry?  No, to sing spirituals, to praise God that they were alive.  A 15 day old baby was found 8 days after the original earthquake.  How could that be?

It reminds me of a movie I saw many years ago called – The Gods Must Be Crazy.  Did you see that movie?  It was about a coke bottle changing this small island of people who had never heard or seen anything like that. Competition began – we want that bottle, no we want it….  The analogy is that – these people perhaps, in Haiti, have never been introduced to things like “but why don’t I have this” or “how could this happen to me?” or “Life sucks” etc.etc.etc.  I know that baby hadn’t.  I know those orphans hadn’t.  I know that those who were spending their days by the cemetery hadn’t.  

How do I know this?  What would most people you know be doing after such a disaster?  What I became clear about was that, most days we don’t take the time to be grateful for our next breath, for the one we just took, for the privilege of being able to have water whenever we want.  I know that many of you have lived through earthquakes here, downpours of rain, just like last week, but we have lost sight, some of us, of seeing ourselves and each other as Souls filled with the goodness, the joy, the absolute beauty inside and out of people.  Yes, some of us have been very wounded by the cruelty of some, but I know they, the so-called cruel ones, must have been hurt in the past and are taking it out on others, rather than learning how to heal from that great grief they carry. 

My great desire for you (and I trust for yourselves) is that your heart can grow large enough to allow what is to be.  To know that you are doing whatever it is that you are called, by Spirit, not your ego, to do.  You are in charge of what you think (as long as you are conscious of what you are thinking) and you can think “Thank God I am able to walk, to talk, to take a breath, to be generous, to be compassionate, to have the feelings that some are so cut off from.  

I applaud all of you who have taken the time to look at your own life in this past 2 weeks and have seen it from a brand new perspective.  I trust the rest of you can and will.  It is gratifying, to say the least.