Miracles in Practice

"Feelings of anxiety or guilt are the result of a lack of forgiveness.  Every unloving thought blocks the miracle."  Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson, who is well known for her work with  A Course of Miracles, says that miracles are based on three principles:  forgiveness, release, and atonement.  I think in this journey as caregiver for someone with dementia we have a lot of opportunity to forgive the person and ourselves.  If we are honest, there are times we resent that our relationship with this person brought us to this situation, and sometimes we need to forgive ourselves for how much the caregiving affects us.  Even with Dwane now in assisted living, a lot of my mental energy goes to his needs:  Did I call to get that prescription?  Would a neurologist be helpful with the drooling?  What could I do to make him more comfortable in that setting?  These thoughts coexist with the regular business of life.  Which shingles to choose for the roof repair.  Remember to call and schedule my own cataract surgery -- which has been needed for some time, but which I have been unable to do while providing caregiving 24/7.  We can choose to forgive ourselves and others, we can then choose to release the issue, and then we can atone by changing our behavior.  Where we have been unloving in any way, we can choose to be loving and kind.  According to Williamson, these steps open the path to miracles occurring in our lives.  I suggest we practice these steps, which are also based in sound psychology, and that we look for the miracles occurring in our lives.