Dear Readers,
As we leave behind the cold of winter and enter into the growth of spring here in the southern hemisphere, I am acutely aware of the absolute beauty of life. Everywhere around me, things are coming to life. My garden is bursting with colour, especially the beautiful anemones that I planted as tiny little bulbs only a few months ago. I have included a photo for your pleasure.
What’s going on where you are? I’d love to know. Whatever the weather, I do hope that life is presenting itself to you in joyful ways.
As its been the end of a busy school term here, we’ve taken a much-needed break. I’ve been doing lots of soulful walks with my dog, but also enjoying some restful time with my family. There’s been a fair amount of emotional upheaval going on at the same time as I try to help my teenagers navigate the stormy waters of their young lives. It’s not easy being a teenager in this crazy world! Judging by the way their distress affects me, I feel deeply connected to my kids and sometimes wish that I could just wave a magic wand and make all their angst go away. If only life was that simple.
I’m loving my new life as a counsellor. I have some very brave and incredibly determined clients who are not afraid to do the hard work as they know that nothing will change if we keep doing the same thing. Technology, when it works well, is amazing in how it breaks down barriers and enables connection with each other no matter where we are in the world. So, let me remind you that counselling has never been more accessible now. If you want to have a chat about it, just email me. Or follow this link to my counselling page I’d love the opportunity to be of service to you.
Which brings me nicely to the main content of this week’s blog. And it’s not written by me for a change! I’m delighted to introduce you to my guest writer and friend, Jono Pierce who has written a beautiful piece for us. I met Jono when he invited me to do an interview with him for his popular podcast, Bitesize Chunks of Faith. He has been a source of inspiration and support to me ever since. I admire his resolve in overcoming the challenges he faces in his life and love how he brings comfort to others who are faced with their own challenges.
Before you read his piece, I want to encourage you to keep an open mind. I respect that there will be readers who have strong views about religious establishments, views that are valid. I am not religious but I am spiritually aware. I learnt early on in my recovery that my spiritual life was something that needed attention. I’ve written about this at length. For me, when Jono talks about God, I do not think of one person, one higher power. I believe more in a universal energy that binds us all together and which gives us all the power to choose to be loving or not. I believe that love is the panacea. I believe that we can’t feel deep love without reaching deep into our spiritual self, a self that is reflected in every living thing. We are part of something truly magical and magnificent. One of the greatest questions that man asks over and over again is this: if there is a God, then how come he allows there to be so much suffering in the world. I am slowly beginning to accept that there is no such thing as a life without suffering. We must all endure it to some extent and eventually get beyond it and experience the joy that is also to be found. It’s as though you can’t have one without the other. Anyway, I do not have all the answers. The more I learn, the less I know. That’s all I know.
Jono is a rector at St Finnian’s Parish Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The story of how he came to have such a role is an interesting one. I invite you to read it here. I welcome your feedback.
I will leave you for today with a thought: consider how love and compassion impact the world and how different our lives are when these two qualities are at the forefront of everything that we do, both within and without. That is what allows the spirit to grow stronger.
Thanks, as always, for your presence.
Love, Gill x
