By Marjorie Young

One day recently, my friend ‘Rachel’ disclosed some unexpected news; she’d been diagnosed with colon cancer. Obviously, this is enough to unsettle anyone, but her disquiet had an additional cause. Rachel follows a strict diet, is physically active, and moreover, attempts to live by spiritual values. She attends yoga class daily and never fails to meditate. Beyond this, she vows to be ‘loving and forgiving’ to all, though, being human, anger sometimes rears its ugly head. Yet, despite creating a well-regulated, harmonious existence, she was beset with a serious disease. “After all I’ve done to get my life together, why should this happen to me?” she lamented.

While sympathetic, I was nonetheless taken aback. Did she truly believe if she ‘did everything right’ that nothing ‘bad’ could happen to her? Obviously, eating with care, plentiful exercise, and meditation are highly desirable choices…which may lessen chances of developing myriad conditions, including heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure. Yet, they are certainly no guarantee of living affliction-free.

Clearly, the ‘spiritual way’ does not prevent hardship from crossing our path. Difficulties are inevitable, no matter how ‘rarified’ we think to become. On the contrary, trials and troubles are a part of what makes us fully human; providing splendid opportunities to learn and grow. Without them, our lives would remain shallow and superficial, leaving us thoroughly untested. How might courage and tenacity, generosity and compassion, take root if we never encountered misfortune? The yin and the yang are equally essential; for darkness illuminates the light.

When we are children, life may seem a straightforward affair. Cries of ‘fair’ and ‘no fair’ echo throughout our early years. Clear-cut bargains are created on a regular basis: clean up your room and you get ice cream for dessert…get straight A’s and we’ll go to Disneyland! Thus, we learn early that being ‘good’ and doing the ‘right thing’ will be assuredly rewarded.

However, with maturity should come a different outlook. Life is rarely ‘just’ or simple. We may work hard, only to see someone less deserving promoted ahead of us. A loving and faithful wife may still have her husband walk out the door. Manifesting a spiritual viewpoint will prove beneficial when coping with such trials. But it cannot serve as a ‘bullet-proof vest’ against every sorrow.

There still remains Rachel, wrestling with the ‘why’ of her cancer. The answer may be elusive, though luck, karma, genetics, even the environment may all play a part. We cannot always know the underlying cause of every trial; yet the knowledge we have ‘done our best’ to exist in a positive way can only offer a measure of consolation. In my family, there is a checkered medical history featuring a multitude of illnesses. Despite my own spiritually oriented and healthy lifestyle, I am well aware I’ll likely come down with something eventually. When that day comes, I hope to face it with a positive attitude and a grateful heart for all I have been given. And rather than ask ‘why me?’…I must readily concede ‘why not me?’

Marjorie is available for readings at the Ballard Sunday Market, her Ballard home, or by phone.

Please email her: myballardpsychic@gmail.com
See her fantasy/adventure series: www.theboywithgoldeneyes.com
Follower her on Twitter: @psychicmargie