The June 2009 issue of Oprah has an inspiring interview with Elizabeth Edwards.
I found Elizabeth’s strength and positive attitude particularly inspiring, especially given the death of her 16-year-old son in 1992, her ongoing struggle with terminal cancer, and the public infidelity of her husband John Edwards.
Here are some parts of the interview I really liked:
Painted above a doorway leading into the home’s master suite is a verse from the 1992 song “Anthem,” by Leonard Cohen. Befitting this moment in Elizabeth’s life, the lyrics are an ode to human frailty and transcendence:
Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.
AND this excerpt from Elizabeth’s new book, Resilience:
This is the life we have now, and the only way to find peace, the only way to be resilient when these land mines explode beneath your foundation, is first to accept that there is a new reality.
I haven’t read her book, but I believe she is talking about accepting the present moment, instead of struggling against what is…dwelling on what could have been or what should have been. Resisting what is will drain you of all your strength. I began my practice of trying to remain in the present moment after reading Eckhart Tolle, especially in the years right after my mom had a stroke, and I was overcome by grief.
Elizabeth is a wonderful example of how your grief and your struggles can make you stronger, if you’re willing to learn and to forgive.
