I have deep admiration for those who have overcome their struggles and grief and have found the sweeter side. It takes an enormous amount of strength and faith to endure such pain, yet have the ability to see the blessings and sunshine after the storm.
Recently, I finished reading a very moving book. A memoir of a mother as she remembers her son and his passion for life.
Freedom to Fall, by my friend Carol Hampson.
When faced with her son’s death due to a rock climbing accident, Carol finds herself at the pivotal fork in the road. Struggling to make sense of it all, like any bereaved parent, she sought out his friends and acquaintances and entered into a soul-searching journey to understand him and know his dream of climbing.
While grasping onto life, yet learning to let go, she experiences the new love of her son in spirit. Pursuing his zest for life, following in his passions and footsteps, and recognizing his hearts desire is where she found meaning and purpose in her own life.
This book looks deep within the spiritual self and through life lessons, frees the soul of the clutches and finality of death. Throughout the book Carol learns more about her son than she ever imagined as well as the powerful way he touched so many lives.
A couple of my favorite excerpts~
“To follow fate is to recognize that you cannot direct your life. No matter how hard you try, life eludes. You can stop where you are, settling in, or you can keep going, listening and stepping. You have to be willing. You have to be strong and brave. You can’t afford to lose another moment. To strive is meaningless. It is rather the absence of striving and the simple act of living that way.”
“Don’t hide from the things that cause pain, for they are tools for healing, sunlight, children playing, the patter of rain, the smell of pine. Receive fully my life this moment, and I will be carried forth. Lay bare my wound an allow it to bleed. Go forward with the sense that things are as they should be, and my loss will be transformed.”
A beautiful and inspiring read that will leave you smiling and realizing that death is absolutely not the end. Thank you Carol for sharing your son with us.
Freedom To Fall
