Loneliness and Reaching Out

I think we all experience times of loneliness, especially when things change in our lives and we lose the physical presence of someone very close. Whatever our beliefs this is a very hard time.

The media can be full of sad and negative stories, but sometimes quite the reverse. Sometimes there are stories full of hope which demonstrate the resilience of the human spirit and that even when we are naturally grieving we can also use what has happened to embrace a new opportunity. I was very inspired by the story of a man called Bob Lowe, who lost his wife after sixty-three happy years together. He lives here in the south of England and our local TV took up his story. He decided that (even in his eighties) he would try to reach out to others who were recently bereaved and lonely like himself. He contacted his local radio, inviting others to get in touch. This led to him starting a little local charity and getting in touch himself with Esther Rantzen who had started her ‘Silverline’ charity for elderly, lonely people. Bob says that what has helped him most in his own loneliness is volunteering to help others.

To me this story is a demonstration of the way in which sadness in our lives can be turned into new opportunity and happiness, as well as the incentive to help many others find a way to alleviate their pain.

In White Eagle’s teaching we are offered the beautiful symbolism of the rose on the cross. Instead of a suffering figure hanging on a cross, the symbol depicts an equal-sided cross with the rose at its centre. This symbolises how sadness and loneliness will all be turned into joy, and brings the awareness that love is eternal. White Eagle often says, You are never alone. Your loved ones in spirit are always close,’ and ‘Where there is love there is no separation.’ Even if we are not able to ‘reach out’ in the way Bob has done, I think we can all ‘reach in’ as it were, and be as open as we can to the whisper in our hearts of our loved one’s voice. In White Eagle’s own words, ‘You will hear their voice, you will hear in your heart what they wish to say to you. Be happy that they are alive and free and can meet you clearly in the heavenly garden.’

[Quotation from our CD Comfort for the Bereaved, available from www.whiteaglepublishing.org]