This Too Shall Pass

My father passed away recently. When I received the news I was sad, but I was not heart-broken. He had struggled for way too long, being depressed for long stretches of his life after suffering from bi-polar. He had a walking disability in his final years, was hunched over after years of emotional turmoil, barely talking to anyone and barely eating. No one deserves to live this life I was telling myself. So when the news came to me that he passed within less than 24 hours after not feeling well, part of me was happy that his soul was finally free. I could literally see the young man that I remember well as the oldest child in my family, to get a fresh new start in a new life somewhere else. His soul was finally free!

Then the amazing thing happened. At work I got professionally executed just a week into his passing. I am in the forecasting business, and like a disease, all my predictions had suddenly turned horribly wrong. It was as if a rug was pulled under my feet just when I had wobbly feet to start with. Interestingly, many people I talked to during that time described that they had experienced this feeling as well. Divorces, the death of loved ones, bankruptcy or professional flops. It is as if someone takes away all the support you have and you are left floundering, not knowing which way is up and which way is down. When I reflected on the situation I was suddenly in, I was wondering whether life had conveniently chosen a point of maximum distress, just to allow me to experience the processes that would have happened on a subconscious level anyway, and help me experience them on a conscious level as well. 

Spiritual travelers do not believe in coincidences; in our world everything has a purpose and is hand-selected for us to experience to help our soul evolve. I am six weeks into the mourning now and think I will manage to climb out of the dark hole like most others did who experienced a similar situation. Bad karma, an unfavorable star constellation, or simply bringing the pain out in the opening; whatever it was, I accept it without complaining, and will probably somehow dig myself out of the hole. I am here to embrace all of life, in good times as well as in bad times. That's what we spiritual travelers do.  I would not wish this period on anyone, but if you or a loved one ever find yourself floundering like I did, know that this too shall pass. It always does.