The Miracle of Life
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Dear CLF Family,
The miracle that I would like to share is the miracle of life, and what it means to me to be truly alive.
A while back I had a near-death experience. I found myself waking up on the bathroom floor in prison at 6:30 in the morning. The surgeon called my condition a “widow maker,” more commonly known as a double pulmonary embolism, and told me that only 6% of patients survive this.
But my miracle doesn’t stop there. A few months after the event I was talking to my best friend about how my life had been one gigantic lie. He suggested that I should try living and telling the truth. Simple, huh? Not so much for me. The ramifications of truth-telling could be—and were—devastating.
I told two truths to family and friends. The first was that I lied about not doing the thing that put me in prison. The second was that I am gay. Well, as you might guess, all but eight people left me. Eight! My pastor stopped visiting and giving me money because he couldn’t support me being gay. In fact, being gay was the main reason why everyone else has stayed away.
Where is the miracle in all of that? Happiness, contentment, and so much more. Freedom to be me! Because of this freedom, I have found Wicca, which feels true to my beliefs in a way that what I got from my pastor never was. Not living in lies is awesome. Living is so much easier now.
This is my miracle. Something bad turned out for my good.
by Edward, CLF member incarcerated in Ohio
- The Miracle of Life - April 1, 2018
