A friend through my church and Holy Yoga classes has been courageously facing the traumatic realities of her childhood over the last 5 years as God releases them into her consciousness through memory and the trigger of now raising her own precious daughter. She comes to class and lays out on her mat faithfully, surrendered to the pain and hope of wholeness and healing.
She and her husband had connected throughout their shared love for the world, its beauty enjoyed through exploration and adventure, and tragedy through the human story of struggle and loss across the globe. They traveled vigorously and loved extravagantly, offering their lives to others without question of cost. After 10 years of planning and saving up for their dream trip of a lifetime, horseback riding and climbing into the Grand Canyon, they set off this past spring break with their 5 year old daughter to celebrate his graduation from nursing school and all that they had labored through to finally be able to enjoy more time together as a family.
On the ride back up the Canyon on the last day, his horse lost its footing, fell off the trail and on top of him, killing him within minutes. To what was already an unbearable history, my friend now adds to her story "widow,"and to her daughter's story, "fatherless." The pain of his loss has been excruciating and suffocating. They had finally made it to the top of their mountain, only to have the earth give way underneath them. Still, she comes to class. Still, she lays out, surrendered to the hope that Life will come again, like the new buds on her lilac bush after a long winter, lift her chin, and breathe warm moist air into her dry bones. God holds her in the midst of what is way to much to handle and by grace she stays with us, for her daughter, unto hope. I gave her my key. She "inspire"s me. Come, brilliant, redeemer God. Come.
-Amy
