Fear Courage Fulfilment Service

Posted in ThirdAid

Fear then Courage

and now

Fulfilment and Service

Within life we have many defining lines that indicate the end of one chapter in our book of life and the beginning of the next one.  It is not a rare event and we get better at managing endings and beginnings as we go along.  Rarely are lines as clearly defined as that experienced by Liam and Marie (pictured above).  The line was drawn when Marie was involved in a head on collision.  This indelible marker was to redefine their lives.

On the 30th June 1998, at the midpoint of the year, Marie was driving in forestry commission land.  As she turned a corner a speeding driver, on her side of the road appeared.  There was no time to take evasive action: impact was imminent.  The speeding driver walked away from the accident.  Marie broke her neck.

In the car and paralysed, she called out to God and the great unseen for help.  She was aware of a sound, rising in pitch, reaching a crescendo.  She followed the guiding sound and in an instant was fully alert and aware.  She called on everything she had ever believed and trained in and this became a source of great healing support.  She became aware of an inner sound that began to inform her, "be still, you have broken your neck.  Trust, all will be well." She was in a life and death situation and this inner wisdom spoke deeply while people gathered around the car to help.  She told them not to touch her, to get help.

Liam was called at work and told that Marie was in a critical condition.  When Liam arrived at accident and emergency, Marie was on a spinal board, sandbags packed around her neck and body.  The news was not good; her reflexes were not responding, a spinal cord injury and paralysis.  Immediately, the medical profession gathered to support and enable healing.  Throughout the whole experience Marie was listening to inner communication and responding to that wisdom. She was operated on, part of her hip placed into her neck, her vertebra wired and a titanium plate fixed to strengthen and support her spine.  The operation was a success.  With the love and support of Liam, family and friends and the Great unseen, she moves around this planet with ease, with every cell singing.

Liam and Marie met when both 7 and attending primary school. Many years later they met again and married.  Liam was an IT consultant and people manager and his hobbies were football and world music, a great source of knowledge on all things musical, and a keen concert and live music supporter.  Marie was a teacher of complimentary health and her interests were in spirituality and the healing arts.  She grew up in a musical family and loved singing.  Marie and Liam began studying with Judy Fraser.  Marie went on to train in Judy's work. She also trained in voice and body, a dynamic marrying of voice, body movement and fluidity - the full body being the vessel of sound.  She was actively exploring these subjects when the line was drawn.

Liam, challenged to unconditionally care, nurse and love his wife back to health had to toughen up and manage the recovery programme.   He was not in a popular position, everyone wants to help but the space and time need to be appropriate.   Liam had the courage to act as gatekeeper and to manage what was necessarily a protracted recovery; it would not be days but weeks and months.  He watched and responded and loved and this amazing approach enabled space to heal from the trauma they shared.  Family rallied round to support while Liam became an expert at clearing space to enable healing and working and earning as Marie could do neither.  That was the line, the indelible marker that separates the before and after.

To help express her new status, Marie started to sing once more.  As a result, gently and together they began to strengthen and realise that it was possible for Marie to sing and dance her way back to health.   Her singing teacher retrained her voice and body as they were no longer the voice and body that had been originally trained, there is metal in the neck.  A few years later, Liam took redundancy from work and they set off travelling around the world, but life had other plans.  Three times they were called home as beloved key members of their families died. They never did finish their travels but trusting there was a reason they began working again.

Marie found another dynamic singing teacher and joined a choir.  The choir leader left and Marie was asked to conduct the choir which she did with great success.  She integrated sound, music, spirituality and the interplay between the inner and outer song.  As each member joined, Marie supported the sound of wellness regardless of circumstances.   She encouraged all to sing and move without fear, and the community of singers grew and grew to the extent that she was asked to start a second choir and it is becoming a full time occupation.  

Few people know the story behind the obvious.  As she stands and beats time with her arms, few know that once her body was still, as she moves her body to the rhythm of sound, few know her deep gratitude as she internally celebrates every movement.  All they know is that Marie is alive, singing, dancing, thanking, loving and stumbling through life with a song in her heart.  Marie is now looking at taking this healing knowledge into research and study.  Liam is gently reflecting on the next step....and how he can help support Marie with the choirs.  The journey through sound, song, music, the love that they share together has allowed them to traverse the many challenges that being on this planet brings.  They embraced the Healer in the ultimate adventure and now they offer this gift onto others who need it.

For further details or direct contact email Marie