By Bernie Siegel —
“Well Simon, now you know why candles are so special to me and why your birthday candles reminded me of my ninth birthday. Candles remind me to live every moment to the fullest, to burn up and not out and to always let our inner light shine so we can be beacons for others.”
“Dad thanks, I’ll remember that next time I am sad, and I won’t let my tears
put out any candles either.”
“Simon, please understand tears are not wrong. They may soften our pain, but grief and tears are not meant to take over our lives. We are here to show compassion to each other in times of difficulty. Perfection is not creation. So live and learn and remember the candles, and what keeps them eternally lit, and that the only light of permanence is love. The lesson I learned from … my leukemia is what made me want to be a doctor and care for kids with cancer.”
“Thanks for sharing your story, Dad. I think I’m going to be a veterinarian when I grow up to help animals and learn from them too, like you did. Maybe we could share a waiting room where the animals teach and heal everyone.”
This is an excerpt from Wisdom of the Ages, which is available through berniesiegelmd.com.
Tags: grief, hope