Freedom has been the theme for this month of July and freedom comes in many forms. Our great country was formed with freedom and inalienable rights and liberties which cannot be taken away. We have seen our Supreme Court uphold freedom of speech earlier this month and it is a blessing that the intentions of our forefathers have been upheld.
Yet my focus during this month has been more on experiencing freedom from within. There seems to be a constant hold upon many of us to hold ourselves back from truly being free. Viktor Frankl wrote: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” We are free to choose our own attitude at each and every moment.
Life will bring us what it brings. It is not up to us to dictate specifics but rather to choose our response to life events. My mentor, Rev. Dr. Martha Creek, wrote about her journey through breast cancer in her book, “Martha’s Pearls.” She conveyed that she was never afraid of the diagnosis. She wrote: “On the day of the mastectomy/reconstruction surgery, I wore a pair of giant heart glasses and a button that said: ‘Stop Staring at my Breasts.’ As doctors and nurses paraded in to prepare me for surgery with their to-do lists and “serious questions and tasks,” imagine their surprise as my first task from them was to have their picture taken with me. Staff from all areas of the hospital came to check out the party in my pre-op room. They sang Christmas carols, wore the glasses, took pictures and laughed. The last thing I heard was laughter and upon awakening was “Ms. Creek, here’s your button back” with laughter and gratitude. The spirit of “all is well” was, and is, alive when we are free to experience life exactly as it is. We can bring ease to disease.”
Say with me: “I bring the spirit of “all is well” to my life experiences and feel deep freedom, gratitude, and joy. And it is so.”
—Rev. Gay Beauregard, Alpine Church of Spiritual Living
