[vickie h]

Dearest Andi,
There are many who will be offended by your post, but I, for one, am standing in a field of sunshine clapping my hands together in praise of your bravery. After reading "The Buddha in your mirror" as well as numerous publications and writings, I can humbly and happily applaud you for telling the truth. It is a hard pill to swallow, though much as chemo, diet, exercise, wholistic treatment (meaning the whole of us, Including our thoughts and the way we view the world, our bodies, others, our spirituality, etc.) and it has everything to do with our health. It has been debated for years that our thoughts (angry, hurtful, childhood trauma, stress, etc) can cause our immune systems to begin breaking down and opening the door for disease.
I was one of those people. Angry at the state of my life, raped as a child, raised by a single mom who was barely able to provide for us 4 children, fell into the drugs of the sixties. And yet, I loved other people and animals and the world around me with a passion and yet, all those around me had no idea of the unresolved pain I was living with. Each and every one of them thought I was extremely positive about life, happy and a fighter. The truth is I was drowning....and then I was diagnosed.
I don't suggest that is every one's story or cause of their illness, but I do believe that our thoughts are tantamount to our health......physical, emotional, and spiritual.
I am the same person I was all those years ago, but I have come to face to face with fear, and it has changed my life. In the very blackness of the night, a light so bright and warm covers me with blankets of love.
Thank you, Andi. I send you my love and prayers, Vickie