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Congratulations --
Rev. Patricia Garrett, M.Div.
A discussion with her UBU faculty coach, Rev. Dr. Fran Stewart
Fran, Q:
Congratulations, Tricia, on achieving your Master of Divinity degree
through UBU. The focus of your study was after-death communication,
particularly as it related to your ongoing connection with your son, who
had a fatal gun accident on June 18th 1997. I loved your
title: There Are More Than Angels Watching Over Me.
You “planted a seed” when you applied to UBU; did that seed grow the way
you expected it to?
Patricia, A:
It
was particularly meaningful to me that my thesis was accepted by the
Board of Regents on the 11th anniversary of my son’s death.
In fact I cried when you called to tell me my thesis had been approved.
I
knew right from the start that I wanted to tell about Jason’s ways of
connecting with me, but I found it harder to write than I had expected.
Just getting started was the biggest obstacle.
It
didn’t really turn out the way I thought it would. I thought I’d have
only three or four pages to write. But I remembered that Ray Charles
song that says “Let it do what it do,” and I just kept writing until the
story was told. I think it turned out better than I thought it would.
Fran, Q:
Would you talk a bit about how your spirituality has changed since you
were ordained as a UB minister? Are you still the same person? Where do
you see yourself on your life path?
Patricia, A:
I’m definitely different! I’ve explored a lot of varied belief systems,
such as Eckankar and shamanism. Each path has expanded me in ways I
don’t think I expected. I still have many spiritual traditions to learn
more about. I’m intrigued by the teachings of Buddha, and I feel a need
to learn more about Judaism, particularly since my husband is Jewish.
There’s so much to learn! After my ordination, I decided to expand my
knowledge about hypnotism. That’s been a fascinating path.
Fran,
Q:
How do you
know when you’re growing spiritually?
Patricia, A:
To
me, learning is the same as growing. As long as I’m exploring new ideas,
learning new things, I will grow spiritually.
Fran, Q:
In the midst
of all this learning, though, how do you know if you’re in alignment
with Spirit? Or is that even a fair question?
Patricia, A:
Yes, it’s fair. As long as I can feel gratitude, I know I’m on my
spiritual path. It’s easy to feel gratitude when everything is right
with me and my world. The challenge is to feel the gratitude during the
rockier times.
Fran, Q:
At what point did you first become aware of your spirituality?
Patricia, A:
I’ve always been in touch with Spirit. Even as a child. Sometimes that
presented a problem. I kept changing churches, looking for one that had
the right belief system—one that agreed with me!
Fran, Q:
I’m sure that could have been a challenge. Was there ever a point when
you stopped being spiritual, when you lost your belief?
Patricia, A:
Never. I guess my beliefs have always been too strong. I did find
sometimes, though, that a church I’d been attending turned into a
stepping stone to my next belief system. And then I’d go on to the next
step, and then there’d be another one after that.
Fran, Q:
Let’s go back to the seed analogy. As your plant—your thesis—grew, how
did the process of writing it affect your life?
Patricia, A:
In
writing my thesis, I experienced a great deal of healing. You remember,
I’m sure, how much I cried during our first meetings. Just the act of
putting my thoughts on paper helped me put my experience into
perspective. I believe I was able to open up more to receiving my son’s
messages.
Fran, Q:
Do
you mean that you thought he’d been there for you all along, but you
didn’t always hear him as much?
Patricia, A:
That’s close to what I’m saying, but it’s more than that. It’s like the
quality of our connection has changed. Since the day my degree was
accepted on the 11th anniversary of Jason’s death, I’ve seen
visions of him, something that never happened before. And he gives me
advice! Earlier, my grief just got in the way, I think.
Fran, Q:
May I ask if our UBU system of faculty coaching
helped you? Or did it get in the way of what you wanted to accomplish?
Did you feel restrained or empowered, or somewhere in between?
Patricia, A:
You know me. I procrastinate all the time. I was delighted that you were
willing to give me deadlines.
Fran, Q:
You asked for them!
Patricia, A:
Yes, I did. And they were a big help. I know I didn’t meet all of them.
Some days I could write and write—the thoughts just flowed out of me. At
other times I could hardly write one sentence in a day.
Fran, Q:
Where do you go from here? Do you have any plans to carry this work
further?
Patricia, A:
Not really. I’m very open to talking with people on a
one-to-one basis, but workshops and presentations are not my favorite
thing to do. I’d be happy to hear from people by email. I’m at
dovelady@bellsouth.net.
It helps to know that we’re not alone when we’re faced with grief.
Fran, Q:
Thank you, Tricia, for agreeing to be the first UBU scholar we’ve interviewed for our Touchstone Newsletter. May I end
this interview by quoting from your summary sheet, so people will have a
better understanding of you and your Master’s thesis?
Patricia, A:
That’s fine. I’d be honored.
UBU Master’s Thesis
Patricia Elizabeth Garrett
June 2008
“There Are More Than Angels Watching Over Me:
After-Death Communication”
Grieving is a natural process
of life. We will all experience the loss of a loved one some time during
our lives. It is through our losses that we can transform ourselves and
find new meaning to life.
It is often said that the
death of a child is the worst thing that could happen to a parent. It
isn’t natural. I can certainly attest to this. When my son left his
physical body, my world collapsed around me. What sustained me was the
communication between him and me after he was on the spirit plane.
There is no time limit in healing grief. It has been eleven years since
my son’s passing but through the difficult process of writing this
thesis I have experienced even greater healing.
The purpose of the subject
matter is to reach out to other people who are grief-stricken. In
sharing my experiences with “after-death communication,” I pray that
their hearts will mend a little faster and they will know that the love
we have for another does not end at the grave. Our loved ones are
watching over us and we can communicate with them.
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