Posts Tagged ‘Parents’

Thanks for the Love

Thank you, thank you, for all the kindness and prayers you’ve sent our way at the passing of my mother, Hazel Irene Dyer, on Sunday, July 22. Although Mom had been in a coma for two days, on the 22nd she seemed to be waiting for my brother Jim and his wife, Marilyn, to arrive. Soon after they entered her room, she somehow knew it was okay to let go and her heart stopped beating.

Jim and Marilyn have shown what it means to be God-realized people in the last 5 or 6 years. They have dedicated their lives to reaching out and serving—first in caring for Marilyn’s mom and then for our mom, Hazel. Jim and Marilyn are amazing souls; they are angels. I have enormous respect for that kind of service. As Lao-tzu said, our original nature is gentleness and kindness and reaching out to others. Ram Dass has told me many times that the grandest achievement of his life was taking care of his dad and stepmother during their last years.

Three of my kids were here with me in Hawaii when we got the news about Mom’s passing. The kids organized a Hawaiian-style ceremony for us. Sands, Sommer, Saje, Mira, and I put some candles and flowers Continue Reading

My Greatest Teacher

I’m 72 today. Around the time of my birthday last year, I was privileged to be working on a new film project from Hay House called My Greatest Teacher. The story is based on my experience at my father’s grave in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1974.

It was a moment of forgiveness that turned my whole life around and changed everything—from my writing to my career to my relationships. I stopped drinking and doing so many things that were debilitating to my body. In that moment, I got rid of the anger and rage against my father that I had carried around inside of me since I was a child.

The film has a contemporary setting with an actor playing the young me—angry, impatient, careless of the feelings of others—until he faces his greatest teacher. Essentially, he can’t go on with his life until he settles up with the huge burden of blame he is carrying. A Course in Miracles says, “If you didn’t blame, there would be nothing to forgive.”  Continue Reading