When Someone We Love Is Seriously Ill

Spirit of Life,
Great Immensity of Love
in which we live and move and have our being:

When someone we love is seriously ill,
sometimes we feel like we have to suffer
as much as possible
in order to make them well,
and it would be wrong
to laugh.

Other times we feel we must always stay positive
in order for the treatment to work.

Sometimes we feel rage—
that this should happen!
to this beloved person!

Other times we feel angry
at the very person who is sick.
Why didn’t they take better care?!

Sometimes we feel terrified,
other times we feel numb,
and sometimes we worry
that everything we feel is wrong.

Help us know that it is all right
to feel whatever we feel.

ALL the feelings are allowed—
grief, rage, fear, joy, contentment, numbness—
ALL the feelings are allowed.

Help us express our feelings,
whatever they are,
and release them unto You.

Help us know
that Your love is deep enough
and wide enough
to hold them all,
as the ocean can hold
all rivers.

When we are emptied out,
fill us with your loving Presence,
so we ourselves can be present
to those who need us.

In Your many names, we pray.

Amen.  Blessed be.

A Healing Meditation

Healing Meditation 1

(To be read by a caregiver to the person who is ill or injured. Read with pauses between each line. Other instructions to the reader are in parentheses.)

Sit comfortably or lie down.

Close your eyes.

Now, yawn five times, sighing as you exhale. (The first time, say something like: “If you have to fake it, that’s fine; usually a real yawn will arise after a couple of fake ones.”)

Now, take 10 belly breaths: Slowly inhale air down into your belly, pushing your abdominal muscles out as you inhale, the way a baby breathes. Slowly exhale. (Help count ten breaths.)

Now, breathe normally.

Pay attention to how the air feels as it enters your body…

and how it feels as it exits.

As you breathe,

imagine you are floating

on an infinite ocean of love

All the love of your family, and friends,

all the love there is

and ever has been:

an infinite ocean of love.

As you breathe in, imagine the light of this love entering your body.

It is the force of life, and healing, made visible.

It is a bright…warm…light.

It swirls into your lungs…

your bloodstream…

and every cell.

The bright…warm…healing light

bathes…and cleanses…

every cell of your body.

It flows in…

and washes all the fear…and pain…

away.

All the things you don’t need.

Let them go.

Let everything you don’t need

be flushed away.

Breathe them out.

Breathe in healing light…

Breathe out all you don’t need.

Breathe in healing light…

Breathe out all you don’t need.

Let the healing light

and your breath

do their work.

Breathe in healing light…

Breathe out all you don’t need.

As the warm, tender force of life and love

swirls through your body,

washing,

cleansing,

and healing

every cell,

whisper “Thank you.”

Thank you for this life

Thank you for this beauty

Thank you for this love.

Thank you.

And now breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Now…as you float

on the ocean of

infinite love

let your consciousness gather.

Breathe in

Breathe out

Breathe in

Breathe out

Return slowly to this place

and this time.

Take your time.

Be gentle with yourself.

Breathe in

Breathe out

Breathe in

Breathe out.

Blessed be.


1 This meditation is particularly suitable for humanists and atheists, but can be used for anyone.