Received another message from A.:
 

Hi Laurie

Just wanted to say hi. I haven't heard from you in a while. I miss your advice. Hope you had a good weekend. Talk to you later. A.
 

I responded:

 

Hello dear Andrew! More angels and Healing on the way today! I miss you too. Ask me questions and/or write about yourself, so that I can better understand your life and struggles. Remember to do the practice: "I am the soul ..." throughout the day, as needed (or "I am radiant light" - just do not use the same phrase you use in your meditations for this exercise). Once we truly Know that we are the soul and not the physical body, not our thoughts and emotions, not our personality - then we can stand there, in that Light and Love of the soul and in the Divinity that is its Source and very Essence.
 

Laurie

 

Friday, October 2
 

A new message from A:

Hi Laurie! Thanks again for the healing and angels. I feel a lot better. I've been asking for intercession from St. Dymphna also. Didn't you say a while back that you felt a connection to her? What was that like? I just hope this dark night is over soon. I'm just trying to roll with things. Please continue to pray. As always, thank you. Talk to you soon.

Andrew

 

I wrote back:

 

Hello dear Andrew! St. Dymphna is the only saint to actually stand before me in physical way, physical enough that I could have touched her. She was made of only radiant Light - and after a time she slowly dissipated, slowly disappeared. This was not a clairvoyant vision, anyone in the room would have seen her ...
 

She was indescribably beautiful ...
 

Rolling with things is a good plan. Praying to Saint Dymphna is also a very good idea - she is in charge of all things neurological, emotional and psychological. The Dark Night will be over soon enough, I was already given a vision of you, bathed in Light and Joy. More healing and angels and saints on the way to you today - and my prayers.
 

However, there might be one more thing that is lacking. Dear Andrew, do you have compassion for yourself, for all your suffering? Can you be your own Friend in this way? If so, your own small heart will open and align itself with the Love and Compassion of the soul. And then you should be flooded with love and peace. If our own small hearts are not open, then to say "I am the soul" cannot truly and abidingly help, because it is like Light standing over an abyss.
 

Here I am not speaking of self-pity but of the Higher Compassion. In this exercise we take the Witness position and image ourselves as from a distance, almost as a separate person - and we know that we are the soul as we do this. We find compassion and love for ourselves in the present suffering, and also in the past. Both are needed. The Compassion must span the entire lifetime, i.e. for ourselves at all ages.
 

I am not sure I wrote that very well - ask me questions if you wish.
 

Laurie
 

Sunday, October 5
 

Received a reply from A:
 

Hi Laurie

I've always lacked self compassion. I find myself showing compassion to others, which is good, but coming down hard on myself. We can be our own worst critics. To truly love our neighbor as ourselves, we must have love for ourselves as well otherwise it would be counterfeit love. What do you think? Easier said then done though.

I like this exercise. It's like a life review of sort. I will work on this too. Thanks again for your prayers and advice Laurie. I'll talk to you soon. Have a good night.

A.
 

It is true what Andrew says about counterfeit love: if we do not love ourselves, then we cannot truly love others; if we do not have compassion for ourselves, we can not truly have compassion for others. This love and compassion for ourselves is deserved because we are the soul - and the soul deserves kind, loving treatment. As I wrote Andrew a few e-mails ago: this self-compassion and self-love is not self-pity or egotism. In this exercise we remember that we are the soul and not the personality, i.e. not our thoughts and emotions. At the same time, we have compassion for ourselves as persons with feelings and emotions ...

 

In fact part of our compassion for ourselves, and for others - is that while in the physical body it is so easy to forget that we are the soul.