.Rachel Naomi Remen
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There are so many swirling emotions after surviving a heart attack:
.....................Relief at survival --
.....................Disbelief that it happened --
.....................Fear of the future --
.....................Grief for everything that was lost --
.................... Gratitude to those who helped --
.....................Vulnerability to the world--
There was no solid ground to stand on. I was weak from the injury; I didn’t know whether I would wake up each morning, I didn’t know if I would ever make it home.
It is as if I have crossed the River Styx to the Underworld, and have been temporarily allowed to return to the land of the living. While the journey has been Hellish, at the same time I have been given something important -- an increased compassion for the wounded, compassion for all those who have to cross the River Styx.
While the heart attack broken my heart, it has also opened my heart.
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