Written May 2012
My friend Beth (not her real name) has developed a very
aggressive, life threatening form of cancer called “small cell cancer” of the
lung. Being a fiercely independent
woman, she didn’t tell too many people except for her immediate family and a
few individuals at her job.
After hearing about her illness, I traveled to see Beth to
give her Reiki and hopefully make her a little more comfortable. When I arrived at her house, we laughed and
cried over lost time, misplaced memories, and current circumstances. She looked drawn and pale; she’d lost quite a
bit of weight. I sat next to her at the
end of the sofa and I took her feet into my lap. I put my hands on her ankles and immediately Reiki
energy began to flow. After about 20 minutes, she thanked me and said she
needed to go to bed and we said goodnight.
The next several days I gave Beth Reiki three times a day. The amount of energy her body was taking was
tremendous, not unusual for cancer patients; and it made me sweat. Color began coming back into her cheeks, her
appetite improved, she was less tired and her personality was lighter, more
carefree as I remembered. And as old friends have a way of doing, we enjoyed
each other’s company.
She told me about the fears she had that the cancer had
metastasized. From the amount of energy
she was taking at each session, I also feared the worst. There was a CAT scan
coming up next week that would give her more information on what was going on
in her body. We would have to wait and see.
I needed to leave for a few days, but would return. I asked
her what she would do while I was gone. She announced that she was going to Atlantic City. I was
appalled. All I could think of was, “the Reiki energy was given to help strengthen
her body, to become better able to deal with whatever is happening now, and she
is throwing it away!” After several attempts
to reason with her, she told me in a gentle but firm manner, “don’t tell me
what to do with my life.” I threw my hands up in surrender. She was right. I
had no right to tell her what she should or shouldn’t do. Going to a casino could
be good medicine since it made her happy, even if she needed a wheelchair to
get around!
I forced myself from checking in on her every hour that I
was gone, but when I got back some days later, she was there in her chair,
typing away on her computer looking at me as if saying, “so what was all the
fuss about?” She was fine, a little
debilitated from the trip, but fine.
As I said, Beth is a strong and fiercely independent woman.
Last time I spoke to her, she was still traveling for her job and dictating
exactly what she will and will not do with her life. God Bless!
Emmy Martinez
Reiki Master
San Diego,
CA
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