Bliss

I have been reading Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search For Meaning, which I highly recommend, and have received much inspiration. The first half of the book reflects on the time he spent in Nazi Concentration camps. Reading his thoughts reminded me so much of my early grief.

Early grief is a time when we can feel totally alone even when surrounded by others. Our whole perspective on life has changed and all territory is unfamiliar. We feel empty in a way, and full in another. In this period of readjustment, we can sink into despair and lose our will to survive in a meaningful way, or we can choose to discover our next step in our own way.

Frankel said “My mind still clung to the image of my wife. A thought crossed my mind: I didn’t even know if she were still alive. I knew only one thing . . . . Love goes far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self. Whether or not he is actually present, whether or not he is still alive at all, ceases somehow to be of importance.”

When I read this, I reflected on Ron and Jacques. They always are a precious part of me, of my life experience. Whether they are physically here with me loses its significance when I focus on the love we share. That love has not and will not diminish. And that thought brings so much comfort. I am constantly wrapped in this beautiful love, and I allow myself to experience it.

I encourage you to live in the awareness of the love you share. As Frankl says: “a man who has nothing left can still know bliss . . . in the contemplation of his beloved.”