(these words were written on August 11th, 2014, but were never posted…the photos were just added today…)
It was my Dad’s 76th B-Day Yesterday. When I came by to great him he said: ” Erik, it is great to know that I was able to make it to this age, but what is more important is that I want to live for much, much longer, at least in as good of shape as I am today…or maybe even get better!” he had a full smile and his face was shining.
Today I would like to ask you a personal question: Are You Living from your past, or from your future?
But wait, before you answer that, please take a short glimpse at my father’s journey, his biggest KARMIC triggers and his change of MIND.
(the photo above was taken, in mid 1930’s, a few years before my dad was born. His father, my grandfather who I’ve never met, is holding his midle brother on his arms. My Dad’s mom, my grandmother, is sitting in the center. My Dad’s other older sister and brother are standing in the back)
My Dad was born August 10th, 1938 in Belarus. When he was four years old, the second world war broke out in Europe. My father had to relive these unforgiving years of war and the rebuilding of life, which followed, for the rest of his life. Just as all survivors, and children of wars, he went through personal emotional battles, physical battles and amazing realizations and recovery.
His first memory of war, where his very last memory of his Dad, my grandfather. He remembers his Dad on his knees, in the bedroom, in front of his Mom, my Grandmother, and both of them crying. His Dad was taken to the army that day. A few days later the German army crossed the border. My Grandmother, my father, his two brothers and an older sister, had literally ran into their home, garbed what they could and fled.
They called it evacuation. Horses and baggies, run as fast as you can in the opposite away from the front and the coming troops. The very next memory my father has is of being left on top of the baggie as everyone ran for cover. The plains overhead where bombing the convoys. They could not tell for sure if these were the Russian plains trying to stop the German army or the Germans trying to stop the fleeing people. One thing remains certain, my dad, at four years old, was left all alone, watching the bombs falling around him.
They’ve made it through that night. His mom, and four children, also made it through the following five years of running, hiding and trying to have enough food and water. His father, my grandfather, never returned from that war. He was lost in a battle, and no body was recovered. My Dad had never got to know his father.
Losing his dad and being left on top of that budgie alone that night have become the traumas which continued to follow my dad for many years to come.
(This is a photo of my Dad and his two older brothers, just as my Dad graduated from univercity, mid 1960’s. My Dad is the one on the very right)
You too may have experienced traumas in your life. I sure hope that they were much less life threatening than my dad’s story. What is important to note, is that your traumas are there, that is a historic truth, but it is not your history but your reaction to it, which is really effecting your life each and every moment.
How you consciously and even unconsciously respond to past riggers is what really determinants your health, your happiness and your life as a hole. You response to your past traumas can also be seen as the evidence to weather you are living from your past or from your future.
Here is a fact, the traumas in your life could be much less significant, but they will be effecting you in a very similar way.
AN UPDATE: August 17, 2015. One year later, my Dad is recovering from a stroke and a bad fall. Today for the very first time, since his fall, he was able to move his fingers on his right hand. He smiled at me and said: “You know, a man needs very little to be happy…it is a tingle in the midle of a chest, it comes from knowing that you matter and the ability to feel your love…”