LAURA'S NEW HEART
(Introduction)
On
January 18th, 2001, I
had a heart transplant. At the time of this publication, I am two and a
half years post transplant. Writing my story was something I felt
compelled to do. The cathartic process of writing helped me digest and
integrate my survival of a traumatic near-death experience. Today my
health and quality of life is normal and healthy. It’s almost
as
if the entire experience is like a blip on the screen of memory. I now
re-read my own words and work to remember the level of transcendent
realizations, gratitude and humility that spontaneously occurred
throughout this journey. This has become a part of my spiritual
practice, one that I am happy to embrace.
We live in a culture segregated from death and dying. This separation
creates an unfortunate spiritual price to us all. My experiences gifted
me with priceless understandings some of which I do my best to convey
to you. Like many trauma survivors there is a desire to remember, to
relive, a longing to understand and embody the deep spiritual mysteries
that are awakened when we walk alongside the reality of our mortality.
As you journey with me, I encourage you to journey with yourself,
reflecting on your own mortality. As you read the story I encourage you
to slow down and take time to speak aloud the affirmations that you
will come upon as you move along in the book. I repeated them in my
mind hundreds of time to ease my mental stress through challenging
moments. You may wish to utilize the open-ended sentences at the end of
each chapter to inspire your own internal exploration and
self-discovery. The thought invitations are designed to take you into
the subconscious layers of your mind where they will stimulate your
imagination, creativity and inspire your self-reflective insights.
I send you wishes to become increasingly aware of God’s
blessings
and love constantly showering upon you with each beat of your heart.
