First and foremost — All credit for the story go to Oprah! The impressions…they are mine 🙂
So when you hear something on Sunday…..and it’s still in the forefront of your thoughts on Tuesday — something magical is happening. It’s Learning Time!
On Sunday, I sometimes watch the OWN network, because I love the Super Soul Sunday program. Oprah interviews people and the topic is typically something spiritual. No, it’s not about God and it’s not preachy – rather it’s poignant, touching — the Human Spirit kind of thing. I Love That!
I saw two parts of two shows, while I was showering after my Sunday long run and cleaning up my bedroom a bit. The first was an interview with Nate Berkus. Nate is a tv personality, he had a design show on tv for a while. Well Nate was in Sri Lanka during the Christmas tsunami back in December 2004. His partner Fernando was killed in the tsunami and was never seen again. The ocean swept in and took him, and he disappeared as if he’d never been. Nate talked about how it took him a long time to recover his interest in living again. He had to learn that if he continued his mourning, that it would be as if he had not survived! WOW! He learned to put down his grief and make his survival count. He said that he heard Oprah say something once , which Oprah attributes to Dr. Maya Angelou — and the essence of it was this, ” When a soul finds what it has come here to find, it goes.”
Ahhhhh. That soaked into my soul like a salve on an open wound. Loss is one of this Life’s most challenging human moments. And here, in a moment on television….I heard something that soothed my soul. It quieted that place in my heart that cries like a little baby for the people I have lost in my life. It even calms the scared part of me who worries about losing those I NEED who are still here. The fragility of life is overwhelming sometimes. And since Sunday….I’ve been thinking about Nate, sending my best comforting thoughts to him…..and then, I’ve been learning from him. Learning to try and think about life in the new way he does. I’d like to learn from his near-death moment…..and live the rest of my life, through his tsunami. God bless you Nate. And god bless you Fernando. Your soul found its home…..and then…..you were gone. May we all be so lucky in this life. May we all be so lucky.
This is the magic of Super Soul Sunday. I’ll save Super Story #2 for tomorrow.
Ciao for now……Diane