Posted by COLORS7 (162.39.75.156) on June 24, 2003 at 16:24:12:
I would like to share my story in the hope that it might help others who have had similar experiences.
When I was about 40 I began remembering being sexually abused by my father. Remembering helped explain why I’d been drawn to emotionally abusive men. I sought help through counseling. I read self-help books and was on anti-depressants for about a year yet continued to be in highly dysfunctional relationships with men.
My life changed when I met Jackie Woods and started taking classes with her. She is a gifted Spiritual Teacher who provides tools that help you change your life. One of these is the heart quality of Forgiveness.Through Jackie I learned that forgiveness has nothing to do with another person and everything to do with me. It wasn't about forgiving my father for what he'd done to me. Forgiveness is about seeing the patterns of feeling needy, feeling like a victim, and feeling powerless then acknowledging my Spirit and who I really am. I know now that I co-created the situation with my father so that I could grow beyond it and express Compassion.
I am now in a healthy marriage with a heartfelt man who is also on a spiritual growth path. But this is just the beginning. Now we are both learning about synergy, community and Oneness. We are part of a spiritual community working toward Peace, toward healing ourselves so that we can help heal the planet.