‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.’ – Marcel Proust
Sue Hanisch who lives in a small village called Sedgwick in England, shares her tragic story about being involved in the London Victoria Station bombing on the 18th of February, 1991.
The bomb blew of her right lower leg and severely damaged her left foot. And the man sitting next to her was instantly killed. She then faced multiple surgeries on both legs and experienced years of despondence, carrying enormous guilt about her survival.
But as she began to heal physically and mentally, she started to question her guilt and depression by asking, ‘How dare I survive, and not take full advantage of my life when the man sitting next to me didn’t have a choice.’
Slowly she began to feel a liberation grow within her and as she allowed herself to let go of the limiting stories she once told, she started to integrate new experiences in her daily life.
‘It’s a mixed blessing to be on planet Earth, said Sue. It’s has been a difficult experience for me to go through, but I’ve also been given the opportunity to find ‘Gold in my wound.’
She said it was sharing her story and her connections with other people that has enriched her life, and from helping others connect back to their own life after tragedy.
In other words, it was her openness, and willingness to commit to a new way of being each day and to trust she could regenerate this commitment when she lost touch with it.
Excerpt from the book, ‘The Myth of Normal’ – Gabor Mate
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
Beautiful, Karen. I think life gives us the choice to truly live or not. And after the tragedy that Sue went through who could blame her to choose “Or not.” I think it takes great courage to choose life.
Yes I think that too Michele. And once we have the courage to say ‘Yes’ our life is enriched and liberated from that choice.
Inspiring story to reflect upon, Karen. We must endeavor to shine our light as brightly as we can, for ourselves as well as for others. How often I forget! 🙏🏼
How often do we all forget? and all the more reason to re-commit to shining our truth and our freedom. Thank you Eliza 🌟 💫 🌿
That is a very profound journey Karen, to ‘feel’ so much. Trying to reach into it, facing it, takes a courage, a love, and a purpose as only that love can give.
A beautiful share kind lady, to touch such depth and in doing so create such a beauty within it ❤️🙏
Yes so true, she went through deep suffering before she was able to choose a new way of being. Thank you Mark 🙏🏻🌿
‘Gold in the wound’…a beautiful way to describe the peace that awaits when we walk through that dark valley…thank you for this story, Karen.
It is human to forget, then remember. Remembering is as much a practice as prayer, meditation, or any act that we engage in living, learning, and evolving.
It is absolutely human to forget our true nature and a way through our suffering. I agree Carrie, for me too, it is a daily practice and balance.
I‘m a happy person nowadays. To achieve this, I went through a lot of heart-ache, and not a day goes by w/o me thanking my creator to be alive, able to step out of my bed (!) and begin a new day. It takes an enormous amount of courage to see the gold in such a wound. Just saw a decomentary of a Swiss boy who started an apprenticeship as a car mechanic, only to get into an accident on his motorbike. Gone was his dream, he‘s paralised from the hips to the toes. The journey of this young man (now 17), his courage, his determination, his positive outlook and acceptance of things he can‘t (now) change is a work of beauty… He now starts an apprenticeship as a watchmaker – after having dreamt of ‚big things to handle‘, that‘s SO uplifting and encouraging…. And he trains to participate in the paraolympics in LA in 2028!
Thank you Kiki. There are so many inspiring and powerful stories to remind us all, we have a choice how we move through our suffering and heal. 💞💞💞
Absolutely true ❤
It is! Thank you 💞🙏🏻💞
I’m going to hold onto this part,
“In other words, it was her openness, and willingness to commit to a new way of being each day and to trust she could regenerate this commitment when she lost touch with it.”❤️☮️Thank you.
Yes I love this wisdom and truth too! Thank you Ali 💞💞