Caroline's Corner - The Beauty and fragility of Impermanence

Welcome to Caroline's Corner, Episode 14 a safe place for unique conversations for people who want to find meaning in their lives and life and share it with others.  This will evolve and grow with some amazing and beautiful human beings.

Once again I had the privilege to be in conversation with a beautiful person with an open heart and mind. Both of us willing to create the space and allow the conversation to come in and let it bring us to where it was to go.  The freedom and learning is powerful and it’s such a blessing to be able to share this conversation. 

James is an Athletic Therapist with a Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Medicine. 

This conversation brings us to how “the body holds score” and how life experiences can get tapped and stagnated in the body.  We spoke about how our own attitude, mindset and intention is paramount to the body mind and soul as it moves through life experiences.    The conversation brough us to our individual “fate” in life and even in the most devastating and tragic circumstances there is a window of freedom, when we are ready, to consider.   

James shared about his beautiful sister Michelle and what not to say to someone who is grieving.  Michelle was diagnosed at 27 with terminal cancer and given a couple of weeks to live. However, Michelle listened to her own gut, her own instinct, her own body and lived for another 2 years.   

We spoke about the impermanence of everything including our physical form and how, talking with the right people can help us to live a better quality of life. How bearing witness to life and feeling the fear and discomfort will also allow us to look at how we might self sooth.  We spoke about the physical impact and the shaking sensations inside, the anxiety and how this is part of the experience - and its shite! 

Michelle left her 2 children videos for their birthdays each year.  As tragic as it is that Michelle is not here herself ,she has left her children such a gift that they can bring through their life, what an amazing soulful human being. 

James shared how after Michelle died in 2020, he came out the following year at the age of 23.   Michelles death and covid isolation reminded James of the impermanence of life and what Michelle had gone through. He had known from just 8 years old he was gay, but he did everything he could to suppress those thoughts and feelings. James believed it (and he) was wrong. We talk about the years of keeping in his feelings and how drink numbed the deep-rooted sense of shame and being with girls allowed him to further hide those thoughts and feelings throughout college. James also shares that if he didn’t come out when he did, he would probably not be here now.   

Our conversation brought us to social media, its influence and impact, the idea of “happiness” and also the honest experience of a week in anyone’s life and how some days are purely for getting through and others are for striving.   

Michelle has a profound and beautiful conversation on Facebook and both Michelle and James have touched my life and I would encourage you to take the time to listen to their messages, the truth, the heartache, the strength, the more than is so powerful and I feel so blessed to have met James and to hear of his beautiful sisters legacy that will continue through the generations. 

“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves” Viktor Frankl