When many people were enjoying family gatherings during Christmas, some were experiencing sadness and loneliness.  I had a few clients come for acupuncture for stress relief before Christmas; some of them have not talked to their children for many years.  Emotional trauma can cause a blockage in the flow of energy, manifesting pain and anxiety. Their sadness makes my heart sink; we only live on the planet for a short time, why can’t we treat each other nicer?

I think we can! With permission, I tell this story about my client Mr. A (Name suppressed for privacy).   Mr. A’s story is an inspiration to me and many others.  For many years he had witnessed his father’s violently abuse his mother. When he got older, one day, he sort justice for his mother and hit his father and injured him badly.  It was so bad; Mr. A was arrested, charged and sent to jail.

 One day during the Covid lock downs, his father reached out to him and apologised for his wrong doing.  His father also told him he was dying and he was scared. Mr. A accepted his apology and promised his father that he will be with him every day. This required sacrifice of time from his small business and commitment to be with his father until he took his last breath.

Mr. A’s story is very humbling.  When word spread through the local homeless charity which he volunteers with, people asked him why he did that.  His response, “I may not be Christian, but it’s the right thing to do.”  As the Dalai Lama says, “Above all religion there is humanity”.

Forgiveness is about yourself, it means the people in the past can’t hurt you any longer.  I have found so many of my clients stuck in the past, some for decades, suffering from depression, anxiety and more.  For these cases I often integrate counseling with Acupuncture in order to help them move forward.

Letting go is progress, forgiveness can heal heartache.  May your heart be full of Love & Joy in 2026!