Living is not for the faint of heart.
Nor is dying.

In the first part of this year, 2020, the world is facing a creeping unknown enemy, the Coronavirus. Many are affected; many are dying. This pandemic is so far-reaching that we all are thrown into chaos, fear, uncertainty, loss of wages, and a new lifestyle which creates helplessness and grief. We grieve for those on the front lines who try to save lives, we grieve for those who have died, and we grieve for ourselves and our futures. I am no stranger to deep personal grief, but I have learned to endure and grow stronger. Many prayers lifted me.

Our faith is being tested. Our physical strength and our mental and emotional capacities and abilities to comply with social distancing while balancing normalcy are being tested and compromised. The far-reaching effects of the pandemic are as yet undisclosed, but great changes are on the horizon. Our world is changing and her people are beginning to undergo an enormous transformation. Earth’s airs and waterways are clearing. People are reaching out in love and compassion to help each other on a scale previously unknown.

If one is grieving the loss of a loved one, or is facing the possibility of their own demise, one must come to realize their own strengths, uniqueness, and divinity. Drinking clean water, walking in nature, eating good foods, resting often, and sitting quietly, perhaps meditating, will help to calm the soul.

Our parents and grandparents endured two World Wars, and younger generations served in several wars later on. There was the flu pandemic of 1918, then the Great Depression. Now, in 2020, we are at war with Darkness. This darkness includes this raging virus, but also greed, corruption, hunger, inhumanity, hatred, economic uncertainty, pollution, a turning away from God, the desecration of Mother Earth, and the race to nowhere.

So many of us are scared, but we are also sad. We grieve for what we perceive to be losing. In every life there is loss, and loss can be brutal. But, we are gaining something so wonderful, so compassionate, so full of love. People all over the world are reaching out to help their fellow man in caring and creative ways. We are connected through the media, even into outer space with our astronauts. This caring is beyond global, and it is good. Helping others can help us to heal and to be better people. It will take time, but our lives will bloom again in ways we never thought possible.

While writing my first historical nonfiction narrative which merged my ancestral lines from the Mayflower forward to the present time, I noticed how connected we all are through time and space. The apparent strength and perseverance of my ancestors, especially when multiple children in their large families did not survive childhood, helped to assuage my own fear of death.

The following quote from the book, That Man Eastman, was made by my ancestor, George Eastman:

GENEALOGY

“The genealogy of a family is a cross-section of a nation’s life. The thread winding through the years along with the life stories of other families makes a complete and enduring race. This thread of family life may have been strong or weak as the individuals of different generations met or evaded life’s responsibilities, as they courageously fought for their convictions or stood by indifferent to their country’s welfare. The Eastmans and related families are no exception to the rule, but as one reads of the life and early struggles of his ancestors, he cannot help but feel a distinct pride in his heritage. It stiffens the mental fibre and prompts one to wish to pass on to his children some of the courage and convictions of his past.

There seems to come to one a feeling of the enduring spirit of time as he contemplates that his life’s blood flowed in the veins of those living in the earliest history of his nation. He feels that he had a part in the making of things which, though remote and obscure in the dim past, are the foundation stones on which his national life now endure.”

Here is an excerpt from the last page of my manuscript:

“Searching my ancestral lines and training in the healing modalities have helped me to discover who I truly am…who we all are: Spiritual Beings having Human experiences. How my ancestors lived and what they accomplished gives me courage, makes me proud, and encourages me to leave an imprint worth remembering. Throughout the writing of my latest book, I now see my life and purpose more clearly as I continue to heal and grow. Grateful to those who cleared the land, shaped this country, served in her militaries, raised good children, contributed to society, followed their dreams, and were brave in the midst of darkness, I say, ‘Thank you, and God bless you.’

We have a responsibility to ourselves, to each other, and to our magnificent Earth home to love, protect, and help all life. We are connected to all the lives of our ancestors, to our present families, to each other, and to the future generations of our lineages. To all those we impact in this lifetime, whether directly or indirectly with our thoughts and deeds, may love, understanding, and gratitude flourish and flow freely to you and from you.”

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Article by Suzanne Gene Courtney

Suzanne Gene (Davis) Courtney moved to Austin, TX, in 2015 after having taught in the elementary grades for over thirty years. She lives near two of her children and grandchildren. Her oldest son passed away suddenly at the age of twenty-five on The Big Island of Hawaii. Dealing with profound grief, she began to write. To date, she has authored six books, four of which deal with grief, loss, and hope. Her books have won awards, with the latest one, Heaven Held, being named Best Spiritual Nonfiction for 2018 by Texas Authors Association.

Along with her author/illustrator career, Suzanne is a Reiki Master Practitioner, Crystal Healer, Channeled Light Healer, and Grief Coach.

Suzanne’s Book: Heaven Held: An Angelic Account of Children in Transition