Guest guest Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Namaste Henny, Linda, and all: Dear Sisters, thanks for sharing these deep and personal insights. Maa says there is only burden when the ego is involved and that is a teaching I try to learn and live everyday. Her is something else from Maa; " When in harmony you can't distinguish between the two. But if you find something that's selfish - ask is it for God or is it for little me - is it in my best interest? Will it really take me closer to my goal or is it just temperary enjoyment? Jai Maa Jai Swami vishweshwar , " jaisanatanimaa " <jaisanatanimaa wrote: > > Dear Linda, > > thank you for helping me realize something important, please allow me > to share it with you. My mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's, lived > in a nursing home for many years, until she left the body two years > ago. Having always been a woman who felt it difficult to ask for any > thing, in the earlier stages of her illness, she often used to say > that she was sorry to be such a burden, to me and to everybody else. > And, to be honest, even though I loved my mum and always told her she > was no trouble at all, in many ways the situation felt like a burden > many times. > Yet looking back, I can see I was given so many great gifts: I > learned to become more open, more appreciative, more patient, learned > to laugh more and love more, and many times my mother and her friends > in the home taught me how to look at things in new ways and the > importance of the most simple gestures of kindness. If I could speak > to my mother now, I would tell her that I was happy to carry some of > the burden because what may have felt like a bag of heavy stones > sometimes actually was a bag full of treasure. > Dear Linda, what I am trying to say is this, and I hope I am sying it > right, is that allowing others to help you and care for you may be > the greatest gift you can give them, > > with love, > Henny > > > > oups.com, nierika@ wrote: > > > > Dear vish ~ I agree with all you so eloquently write here, but I > must tell > > you that, in some cases, what is right or true for most people is > not right or > > true for others. My journey into these illnesses has, as my > symptoms grow > > ever worse, made me more and more dependent on others. > > > > First I was dependent on people to help clean my house. That may > not seem > > like much, but for one who enjoyed cleaning and the feeling of > renewal that > > activity brought, it was a blow. Then I became somewhat dependent > on people to > > cook or prepare meals for me. I do that myself now, but my diet is > extremely > > restricted because I don't have the energy for cooking and > preparing food. My > > diet is cheese, yoghurt, fresh fruit, and muffins, every day. So in > that way I > > have taken that burden off of my husband. > > > > But now I am not able to drive. Will I ever drive again? I don't > know. It > > depends on what is wrong with me; the doctors are still trying to > figure it out. > > I am dependent on David to walk my dog, another " chore " I loved. > David > > doesn't like to do it, but he knows I can't, and so he does. I > live in fear over > > what ability I may lose next. My balance is really off; I stumble; > I am > > clumsy; I fall; I drop things. Each of these is a reminder of the > loss of abilities > > that I used to take for granted, and the loss has been so gradual, > spread > > over several decades, that I really didn't " see " it coming. > > > > I pray to Maa to help me bear my illnesses without rancor, fear or > > resentment; to give me the courage to be strong and to accept what > I bear with grace > > and graciousness. I throw myself at the Mother, in anger like a > child with a > > temper tantrum, then I grab onto her skirts and plead with her to > help me be > > more accepting. So, I agree the ideal is to not be a burden on > anyone, yet I am > > acutely aware every day, of just how much of a burden I have > become. For > > some reason this is my karma and my dharma, and I work to learn > whatever lessons > > are here for me. > > > > I am sorry I reacted so strongly to what you wrote; I am now one of > a group > > of millions, people who live at the good will of others; people > whose > > " disability " may be invisible, but is just as limiting, just as > frightening ... and > > like many, I work every day to rise above this. I guess this topic > has been > > very much on my mind these last few weeks. ~ Linda > > > > > > vish wrote: > > > > Namaste all: Kumari captured the essence of Maa's teachings as I > > relate to them. All of us face these issues every day and we can > all > > relate to your dilimma Ruchi. > > The key princilples here are: faith, trust, and surrender to > Divine > > Will while acting in accord with the highest principles we are > capable > > of at any moment. > > We have a body, we have responsibilities, we have physical and > > material needs and we cannot be a burden on anyone. So we perform > > sadhana to increase our capacity: our capacity to surrender, to > have > > more faith, to have greater devotion, to be more conscious while we > > act; and then we move into the world to perform our karma to > fulfill > > our dharma. > > > > > > **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in > just 2 easy > > steps! > > (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol? > redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx? > sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=De > > cemailfooterNO62) > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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