by Dr. Pat Campbell, Senior Minister and Spiritual Director, for the Calgary Centre For Spiritual Living. Dr. Pat is the author of Giving God a Good Time.
When Bev Janisch asked me to write an
article for her blog on Alzheimer’s from a spiritual perspective, I thought,
“What do I know about Alzheimer’s?” But
then I remembered that both my parents, although never diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s, dealt with moderate dementia prior to their deaths.
And like anyone else who has had a loved
one lose their mental capacities – I often wondered, “Where did she go? Where did that bright, funny, interesting
woman go?” And “Where did he go? What happened to that strong, vital, man of
integrity and dignity?”
The answer is, they didn’t go
anywhere. Because from a spiritual
perspective, they still had the spark of the Divine within them – even if I
couldn’t see it anymore.
As a minister of Centers for Spiritual
Living, what I teach and believe is that God (or whatever you choose to call
the Universal Life Force) is all there is.
Everything is part of this Life Force.
It cannot die. It cannot become
confused. It cannot be extinguished.
Because that is true, then we too are
part of this Life Force. Each of us has
that Divine Spark within us. Each of us
is here to shine that spark as brightly as we possibly can. And no one’s spark is like anyone
else’s. We are unique, special, and
absolutely individual. Each of us is
walking our own individual spiritual path, that is just right for us for our
own soul’s growth.
When I remember this, I can view what
appeared to be the loss of my parents to dementia as part of their spiritual
path; their soul’s growth. I can
celebrate when their spark was bright and vivid, and be happy for having that
be part of my life.
And I can also appreciate them when their
spark appeared dim, because I know that nothing can really diminish the spark –
it’s just that I could no longer see it.
Yet, it was still there, shining brightly of the path of their soul’s
growth.
Blessings.
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