In 1995, I moved to Newburyport with D., a cancer survivor. She was a huge fan of Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of Love, Medicine, Miracles.
D. was an attractive woman seven years my senior. We often clashed because, as an interior designer, she prioritized how things looked while I cared more about how things felt.
Ours was a passionate but mercurial love affair and not meant to last. Nevertheless, she ended up being one of my most influential teachers.
Bernie was speaking at the Nock Middle School auditorium in front of a packed house. He was fascinating and moving. And I was thrilled to have been introduced to his work that evening.
Toward the end of his talk, he asked the audience a question.
“If someone had amnesia and lost all memory, what would you show them to explain the miracle of life?“
A woman shouted, “A baby!” Another said, “A sunset!”
The answers came in rapid fire: “Children laughing!”, “an elderly couple holding hands,” “a flower garden,” “the ocean,” “puppies!”
On and on they ca…
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