THE JOURNEY – THE EARLY YEARS (Part One)

DONNA-LYNN’S PERSONAL JOURNEY – 

Story from the magazine

Nurturing Our Souls – NATURALLY!

….. and so, Where To Begin?

Well, I suppose there’s no place to start like as they say, at the beginning! So let me introduce myself and the journey; the journey that has brought me to this point in life of wanting to develop this publication (my new magazine – Nurturing Our Souls – NATURALLY!) and to help and serve others in need of moving past emotional and psychological pain, self doubt and lack of self worth etc.

Hi there, I’m DonnaLynn, I am much like many other women, having lived much of my life quietly and pretty much subdued, some might even believe, uneventful. Then there may be others who choose to see me as someone other than I have otherwise been perceived or even may have believed myself.

I’m the second (and more introverted and spiritual) daughter of two beautiful and loving souls who devoted their lives to the best of their ability to their 2 girls and each other.

Mum and Dads’ wedding day 28th June 1952

I learnt to accept later in life that being an introvert is not such a negative distinction, but have rather begun to view and appreciate it as a more positive and necessary aspect of  my character, especially considering the path I have now chosen to pursue.

Both my parents (now in the arms of the Angels) loved and lived for each other and as mentioned, for both my sister (7yrs, 10mths my senior) and myself. Unfortunately, the same depth of love and devotion they had for each other, wasn’t, I’m led to believe, echoed for either pairs of my grandparents as sadly, they experienced pretty tragic marriages and the outcomes continued to devastate and affect each of the families for all the many years that followed.

We can never understand to great detail, another’s pain or life’s experience so I choose not to judge my grandparents for their choices and how those choices deeply affected their loved ones, as well as themselves, but rather, focus on and appreciate any good that may have eventuated from those experiences and times.  

                 

Me, and older sister, Margaret

I hold great admiration for both my parents for choosing to rise above their parent’s tumultuous relationships and the infliction of enduring such physical and psychological trauma and abuse towards them.

Mum and Dad provided both my sister and I the blessing of experiencing such a loving and unconditional family bond in the early years, I say early years as unfortunately the universal plan was not to see Dad live through to experience his senior years.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they had their fair share of disagreements and lovers tiffs, as I know their road had many, many challenges placed before them, of which didn’t exclude long term terminal illnesses, and family out castings etc., which in retrospect, I’m sure made their union even so much more unique, stronger and loving.

My parents along with myself and my sister would without a doubt have much preferred not to have experienced and witnessed these traumas and tragedies, obviously much preferring to have lived our lives in much  healthier and blessed circumstances. But I now look back and acknowledge with much  realisation how it all has developed and shaped my current circumstances, character and spirit, and how it without a doubt gave me the opportunity to appreciate at a very early age, the precious gifts in life that so many unfortunately choose to take for granted.

Just a little about my parents before moving forward, for without them and their journey, I would have no foundation to base my story and live my journey………….

Dad being one of 12 children, had 6 older brothers (5of which were from his father’s first marriage) and a younger brother, as well as 4 full blood sisters, many of whom inherited a seemingly “family curse” (Cerebellum Ataxia, SCA1), a form of Motor Neurone Disease that has affected our ancestors for numerous generations and will continue to devastate current and future family members until a cure is found.

Dad survived only to the age of 46, leaving behind a young grieving wife at the age of 40 (who struggled through a deep depression after his passing), and two young children who struggled themselves to deal with the absence of their dad in their own seemingly “just” manageable way.

He passed just one week and a day shy of my 8^th birthday and when my sister was in her vulnerable and influential early teens.

Aside from losing dad and many other descendants’ and closer relatives, we also lost dad’s daughter from a previous marriage; my ½ sister Sandra, to SCA1. Many never had the opportunity to reach their 50^th year as it seemed common to succumb to this dreaded disease long before then. It was all too much for one Aunt that she chose to take charge of her own destiny by choosing sadly to end her own life prematurely.

Mum’s story, aside from having been made an early and young widow at the age of 40 and having to raise two young girls without her husband by her side has been such an inspiration to me, filling me with feelings of such pride and tremendous gratitude for the sacrifices she made. Her courage, empathy and selfless care and love towards others in need certainly was and still is to be admired, although I’m sure this would have been played down by mum as she just did what was necessary and what she thought was natural and just to do.

Many times we thought we’d lose her earlier than we eventually did, but she had a purpose and I’m sure she fulfilled it many times over.

Mum was the 3^rd of 5 children, and the eldest daughter of parents living in country, Victoria, Australia.  If only she knew what lay ahead having this position in the family; the heavy obligations and responsibilities that this would place on her as a young woman, still in her teens, would certainly test her physical and psychological strength as well as her spirit.    

The home where my Journey began

Me  – only weeks old with Mum , Dad and sister, Margaret

You may wonder why I’d choose to open up and speak of such private and sensitive experiences.

Well, I believe that in sharing our stories in good nature and with good intent, we can help many others in their healing too. We need not feel that we are alone in having to deal with certain experiences and challenges in life, as so many of us have been there before, and may still be working through things.

Choosing to begin the process of taking vital steps towards healing, emotionally and psychologically, are sure ways to start living a much healthier, forgiving and loving life. We are not here to just exist and live in pain, we are here to work through our challenges so to live out our best qualities  and life; learning from all the lessons put in front of us.

I was so blessed to have had a mother who was sensitive, empathic, sympathetic and just so naturally caring towards others. She had many reasons to choose other ways to live her life, but she chose to live  with greater meaning and serve on higher ground.

All her life experiences and challenges, even up to the time she passed, could have made her a very bitter or openly sad person, but to the contrary, her chosen nature and character provided many others the relief of their own pain and suffering. So much so that her Oncologist when asked to speak at her funeral, was more than honoured to share his own story of knowing such an inspirational and beautiful woman – regardless of their occasional opposing life and medical views –  but that’s another story!

I’ve learnt a lot from my mum about Love, Loss, Patience, Compassion and Forgiveness, I only hope that I do her proud as I journey through life and fulfil my purpose here on earth.

Someone once said that Life was not meant to be easy, and at times I’m pleased that that is the case, for if  life was a piece of cake and too easy to navigate we would never realise our greater qualities; bringing forth the courage and beauty within  to help us shine and grow.

Never Let Any Circumstance Go By Without Attempting To See and Feel The Lesson and Purpose Of  It’s Existence, For There  Is,  Generally a Hidden Gift!

Link to magazine:  https://issuu.com/nurturingme-naturally/docs/mini_mag_pilot_revised_edition__5_nov_

Let the journey continue ………………………..

Love Light & Peace,

Many Blessings