2014: A Year of Healing and Gratitude

     As this year quickly draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to those who have worked tirelessly to help me heal from the wounds of PTSD.  In my most popular post titled Paying It Forward . . . A Gift to Ourselves and Humanity (6/1/2014), I thanked many people who were instrumental in my transformation from a broken spirit to a more balanced existence.

    Several months have passed since that post and I have become more attuned to the way that universal energy affects the very fabric of our being.  For the first time in over 50 years of living on this planet, I can say that I am truly at peace with respect to the mind, body, and spirit.  A few weeks ago, I sent the staff at the Natural Health Improvement Center of Alsip a letter of gratitude for the amazing work that was done on my behalf inside the walls of what I termed, a house of healing.  As I say goodbye to 2014, I want to share these sentiments with you, my readers.  Although what I wrote only scratches the surface of how I feel, it will at least give you a snapshot into this unique world of healing.  Be well, enjoy, and I will see you in 2015:

A Year of Healing and Gratitude

Dear Dr. Stacy,

     When I first walked into the Natural Health Improvement Center my mind, body, and spirit were almost broken by more than a decade and a half of battling with PTSD.  However, as the many months have passed, I can truly say that I am well on my way to a more balanced life.  Having said this, I would be remiss if I did not thank the following people:

To Dr. Stacy: Ross Perot once said “Eagles don’t flock, you have to find them one at a time.” This I can say, that you have certainly gathered for yourself some of the best and most compassionate people to work with you in this healing house.  Our journey towards healing my body (organs) from the wounds of an overactive stress response has only just begun, but I already feel the progress being made.

To Danielle, Colleen, and Christina: Collectively you are the front face and first point of entry into this practice.  Your superior command of the products and services offered has restored my faith in the art of good customer service.  Additionally, you take a vested interest in the lives of each client by actively sharing in our successes along the road to wellville.  Human interpersonal communication is one of the best methods of healing the soul.

To Dr. Kat:  Thank you so much for keeping this “Humpty Dumpty” together in one piece while I took a walk from the dark side of the moon, back into the light of personal wellbeing.  I still have a way to go, but with your help I can effectively balance the weight of this journey squarely on my shoulders.

To Erin: When I first inquired about acupuncture as a way to heal myself, Danielle described you as being brilliant.  This is only one of many things you offer to your clients.  I am truly blessed that our paths crossed at what was a critical moment in my life (as you always say it’s the Universe speaking to us).  You are the best spiritual healer/guide that I could have joined forces with.  What I truly appreciate is that you describe our relationship not as a practitioner-client, but rather as teacher-student. That, my friend, is why I more firmly rooted to Mother Earth once again.  I bow deeply in gratitude for the lessons you have taught me.

     I am sure after the many conversations we have had, by now you know that Judy and I have a strong spiritual connection to the Hawaiian Islands.  When one has been accepted by the Hawaiian people, you become Ohana (family).  We both consider each one of you Ohana, for all that you have done, and all that you continue to do to build this House of Aloha.  If there is anything I can do to help spread or support your mission of healing, please do not hesitate to call.

As they say in Hawaiian: Aloha, Mahalo nui loa, and during this time of year: Mele Kalikimaka.

                                                         With abiding respect and gratitude,

                                   

                                                            Tim Grutzius

A Good Guy Who Is Winning

It is always reported in the media that during the Christmas Holiday season we see a spike in cases of depression, suicide, and suicide attempts.  In my 20+ years of experience as a paramedic with the Alsip Fire Department, I find this not to be the case.  Depression and suicide/attempts seem to be a year-round occurrence with no end in sight.  Our world seems to be out of balance and many people are falling into a downward spiral of despair.

     I have never experienced severe depression and therefore, do not know what it is like to walk in the shoes of those that do.  I can only speak to what it is like to be left behind in the wake of a suicide, as has been chronicled since the inception of this blog.  Today, I am going to introduce you to a new-found friend of mine who is a fellow firefighter named Steve.

     I was connected with Steve a few months ago when he was directed my way for help in writing a blog.  Steve, in his own right, has an incredible story of survival to tell about his battle with depression.  He is someone who has walked in the very shoes I do not. Although the target audience of his blog reaches out to fellow firefighters who share a similar experience as himself, do not let this deter you, or anyone you might know (who may be depressed or suicidal) from reading the content.   Steve does not speak from a firefighter’s perspective, but rather a human being whose mission it is to provide hope to others through his own life’s lessons.  You can find the link to his blog in the right hand column of this page or, at Depression in the Firehouse.

 

     Steve is very open and honest about his struggles.  However, from the phone conversations I have had with him, he is winning and wants others to do the same.  It is for this reason that I consider him a personal hero. 

     In staying true to this blog’s format, I leave you with a song by Jimmy Buffett titled “Good Guys Win” which says it all.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Tim

Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

 

 

 

So Why Is It That I Like the Grinch So Much?

Google Images

     In 1957, Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel wrote and published the timeless children’s classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2014).  I remember growing up as a kid waiting for this time of year because I knew the animated feature of the same name would soon be on TV.  When the film version starring Jim Carrey was released in 2000, I had to see it on the first day.  I possess the following Grinch items: A 6 foot tall singing Grinch, coffee mug, pajama bottoms, Christmas stocking, the 40^th Anniversary edition of the book, and one each stuffed Grinch and Max; all of which are brought out of storage on the day after Thanksgiving.  So why is it that I like the Grinch so much?

     While it may seem to you, my readers, that I am on Grinch overload, the answer to this question is quite simple.  The story of the Grinch is about transformation.  The expanded movie version tells the story of the Grinch (who was a Who), and how he was ostracized and made fun of because he was different, even eccentric one might say.

Google Images

     The Grinch grew to become heartless, and despised all things that were Christmas because of a painful childhood memory.  As the story continued, he hatched a plot to steal everything (that represented this holiday) away from every Who down in Who-ville out of spite, and to get even.  However, the Who people were undeterred by his efforts and celebrated Christmas without all the toys, lights, and roast beast.

Google Images

     Upon seeing this high up from Mount Crumpit, the Grinch had a change of heart and realized that Christmas was much more that about commercialization.  In fact, his heart grew “three sizes that day” (1985).  This was his moment of truth, as he looked in the proverbial mirror and did not like what he saw staring back at him.  In the end, the Grinch took personal responsibility for his actions and returned everything he stole.  For this gesture, he was rewarded and blessed with new found friends, who looked past his differences and accepted him as one of their own.

     We can all take a page out of the Grinch’s playbook when it comes to transformation.  The recurrent theme of this blog is all about self-care of the mind-body-spirit paradigm.  It is also about taking a journey towards a more balanced life.  In order to effect this transformation, we, like the Grinch, must take personal responsibility for our own wellbeing.  Nobody else is going to do it for us.

     So as a new year quickly approaches, let’s continue to take the road less traveled.  If you are a new reader, please join in on the conversation.  As Lao Tzu once said “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.  I leave you with this you tube video that contains the lyrics to the end title song of the Jim Carrey version of the Grinch.  As the words unfold, watch for the inspirational transformation.

Mele Kalikimaka,

Tim

 

References

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2014).  Wikipedia.  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas! On 12/12/14.

Geisel, T. (renewed 1985). How The Grinch Stole Christmas 40^th Anniversary Edition.  New York: Random House.

Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 17th, 2006: My Day on Infamy

     Today marks the Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the sinking of the USS Arizona.  Three years ago, I wrote a descriptive essay for an English composition class about my visit to this historic site.  In retrospect, it was also a time when I initially experienced the power of universal energy, from the moment I stepped aboard the Arizona Memorial.  This was also the beginning of my journey towards self-discovery and a lifelong partnership with energy work.  I now share with you this essay in remembrance of the lives lost protecting our freedoms.  Enjoy:

USS Arizona

   “On December 7^th, 1941 the USS Arizona was sunk in a matter of minutes when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, carrying with it over 1,100 sailors.  Years later, a memorial was built, which now rests over the submerged Arizona as a lasting tribute to those entombed in its hull.  As both an American, and a veteran of the US Army, there was nothing more moving than my day spent on Infamy.

Entrance to Memorial

     It was an exceptionally clear blue sky the day I visited the Arizona Memorial and from a distance, it resembled the ribbed carcass of a giant white whale with a concave back.  An American flag flew proudly, approximately fifteen feet above on a steady pole.  As the transportation boat motored closer, my heart skipped a beat in anticipation of disembarkation.  The boat angled to a stop and was tied off to a small pier.  A sailor stationed at Pearl Harbor, grasped my right hand and assisted me on to the platform. I joined approximately 150 people and moved single file into the “mouth of the whale” (main entrance).   I looked up and saw large stone letters, mounted three feet above the entrance that hailed, “U.S.S. ARIZONA MEMORIAL”.

Inside the "Whale"

     I walked a few more feet into the memorial foyer and to the immediate right, a park ranger sternly reminded us that we stood on top of a gravesite, therefore respect was paramount.  The ranger was stationed in front of a backdrop of several flags uniformly lined up like soldiers in formation, and I recognized one to be the State Flag of Hawaii.  I looked straight back to the “tail of the whale”, and noted the arched support structures above me resembled ribs and intercostal spaces that formed seven openings on both the left and right sides of the memorial.  The single file line moved from the right, to the rear, and then the left side of the memorial.

Memorial Wall

     I leaned over one of the openings on the right side and noticed that the Arizona herself lied perpendicular to the structure and I vividly saw the outline of the forward area of the ship.  Oil from the engine room below bubbled to the surface and ebbed slowly out towards the Pacific Ocean.  As I walked to the rear or “tail”, I was greeted by a ten foot by ten foot marble wall that contained the names of the fallen that were buried with the Arizona.  A rope barrier, similar to one found in movie theaters, prevented me from approaching the wall, otherwise I would have traced my fingers in the engravings.  I made the turn towards the left side of the “whale” which allowed viewing of the aft area of the ship.  I noticed an elderly Japanese woman toss a flower into the water and my knees weakened.  Somehow, I knew she was connected to a sailor entombed below.  The most curious observation I made during my thirty minute visit was the reverent silence.  Not one of the one-hundred and fifty people spoke, and if I wanted, I could have heard a nickel fall on wet grass (if grass were nearby)

 

     I once again boarded the transportation boat for the return trip across the harbor.  As I looked back at the Memorial one last time, I pondered what life would be like if the war had gone the other way.  I thanked God that we won, otherwise, I may not enjoy the freedoms that I take for granted each day.  Freedoms, these fallen sailors no longer enjoy”.

 

 

Dedicated to those who lost someone on this pivotal day in our Nation's History