In 2009 my dear friend tragically died of stomach cancer. She was only 43 years old and left behind a son of 12, a daughter of 3 as well as her husband. I was privileged enough to spend some evenings sat with her, as we shared precious memories.
We had been friends for over 25years, meeting at the age of 17 and sharing a house together. Life got in the way and we saw less of each other - I moved away to London and she moved away a few years after that. We worked alongside each other at one point and those were treasured days - meeting up for lunch in the college canteen, putting the world to rights.
The shock of hearing that she had terminal cancer was impossible to comprehend & to accept. I had been to a 'Healing Workshop' in London years previous and she was keen for me to do the 'programme' with her. She bought the tapes and I brought along my book and for a few weeks, when she wasn't too tired, we worked on her journey from her past hurts and traumas.
One night I 'took' my friend into a reflective scenario, where she 'sat' with the ones who had hurt her, the ones she felt she may have hurt, or disappointed etc. And the tears flowed . Afterwards she said it was the first time she had cried since the death of her dad (less than a year before). It was the first time she had been able to allow herself to 'grieve'. She had felt his love, she felt his protectiveness and she forgave him. She said it was an incredible feeling - making peace, letting go. It was like a spiritual release an enlightenment of the soul.
That is why I do what I do.
Tragically my friend died not long afterwards, her body didn't heal, but I felt her heart did and to have helped and witnessed that incredible enlightening moment of release was indescribable. This was my life-changing moment.
The Grief Recovery Method works with similar concepts... It provides you with the opportunity to apologise for past hurts and traumas and the opportunity to forgive for the emotional and physical pain of the past too. I never realised the power of an apology. I never realised the power of forgiveness before I trained to deliver this programme. It was life-changing for me, on a personal level and on a professional level too.
I want to enable others to 'let go' of past hurts, to 'make peace' and go forward with a lighter heart, a heart open again to love - a heart, mind and soul capable of anything.