BERNIE
By Bernie Siegel, MD The Book That Changed My Life I
must begin by saying I do not believe any book can change your life; only you can. Two people read the same book, one is inspired while the other is bored. It is the person and not the book that is the issue and what lies within each of us. The author’s wisdom when combined with the reader’s inspiration and desire to change can lead to a new life for the reader. The book that has meant the most to me, in my life is “The Human Comedy” by William Saroyan. When I was struggling with many issues, particularly loss, as a physician caring for and coun- seling people with life threatening illnesses I came across a story by Saroyan called “The Young Man on the Flying Trapeze.” At the end of the story the young man dies after thinking about a trapeze to God, and Saroyan’s closing words are, “He became dreamless, unalive, perfect.” From then on I sought out all his books. I see the pain of most people’s lives and particularly their child-
hoods. Growing up feeling unloved with destructive messages from their parents which lead to their not caring for themselves. Saroyan has a teacher talk to one of her students and tell him what we all need to hear to survive; to respect each other even if you do not like each other, the love of truth and honor, to not be alike but to be human in your own way and to pay no attention to those trying to hold you back and embarrass you. These are mottoes we need to hear from our parents and live by them. Perhaps the most important words in his book for me were these, “But try to remember that a good man can never die…The person of a man may leave-or be taken away-but the best part of a good man stays. It stays forever. Love is immortal and makes all things immortal. But hate dies every minute.” Those words, plus the thought that when we leave our bodies we become perfect again have sustained me through much loss and from my experience I believe they speak the truth. He knows what I learned, “Doctors don’t know everything…
They understand matter, not spirit.” Medical education is not a true education. It is more about information and matter and not spirit and the real world people exist in.
If every child were brought up with the words spoken in The Human Comedy the world would be a very different place. I see the pain of those who grew up being told they were failures, never good at anything and were dressed only in dark colors. Last but not least finding pennies has always been a sign from God that I am on the right path. In the book one brother tells the other, “Pick it up, it’s good luck. Keep it always.” When I spoke to Saroyan’s daughter she said her father was like that and would run out into traffic to pick up a penny he saw. The ultimate sign for me was finding twenty six cents while I was about to run a marathon, which is twenty six miles long. It was a sure sign I was going to make it. Why? Because the penny says it all; In God We Trust; the Liberty to be the unique and authentic person we want to be and not what others impose and Abe Lincoln, staring into the east where the sun rises so he cannot see any shadows but still without a smile. Would he have lived differently if he knew what was coming in his life? So I have learned to accept my mortality and love until I am tired of my body. Then I will leave and become perfect and immor- tal.
Bernie runs a Woodbridge Cancer Support group on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of each month and a Mind, Body, Health Support Group on the first Tuesday evening of every month at Coach- man’s Square, Bradley Road, Woodbridge, CT. Contact: Lucille Ran- ciato at 203-288-2839 or email her at
lranciato@yahoo.com or email Bernie at
bugsyssiegel@sbcglobal.net. Wisdom of the Ages, a special place to nurture your spiritual side. It's filled with items to calm the mind, heal the body & empower your spirit. They also provide massages & monthly meditation classes. Wis- dom of the Ages is owned by Bernie's son & daughter- in-law, Keith & Jane Siegel. Located at 1408 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury. Please call for info or to register for Bernie's group. (860) 651-1172, www.wis-
domoftheages.biz. See ad on page 16.
www.tsachsmd.net NaturalNutmeg.com 9
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