From Distraction to Opening to the Reality of Suffering

     “I think I’ve learned so many things from this experience (husband Bruce Kramer's ALS). I don’t think in 54 years I truly understood suffering, and once this happened to us, I was amazed at how I just didn’t pay attention to all the suffering going around. Before ALS, I had my perfect little life, I was really enjoying it – we were both enjoying it, very busy, and I just didn’t see that. And I would never want to go back to that blindness. And I hope that at some point in the future I’ll be able to give back in some small way the amazing love and devotion that we’ve been showered with throughout this experience. So I wouldn’t trade that in. … 
      I think maybe we see (suffering), but don’t feel it. I could see it and think ‘Oh, that’s so terrible,’ but I never felt it. 
      It’s terrifying to feel it. But once you’ve experienced it, it opens you up to so much other suffering, and to knowing that you do have the opportunity to help. … It’s really a different way to live.”          Ev Emerson

Bruce Kramer's EXCEPTIONAL interview by Krista Tippett      http://onbeing.org/program/feature/in-the-room-with-bruce-kramer/7424  

 

Pipla   www.dpreview.com