In memory and honor of Allison Rieman, who passed away on August 19, 2023, at the age of 26 from an 8-year battle with cancer, her family presented two Candelabra for the Altar this past Sunday.
Allison was an inspiration and source of joy for those around her during her journey. In remembrance of the one-year anniversary of her death, we are re-publishing her own reflections on life and love:
“People don’t like to talk about death. I get it, it sounds terrifying. But I’m not afraid of death anymore. I’m not resisting it. I’ve accepted that it’s a part of our life here on Earth. We are all born, we live, and we all die . It’s inevitable and natural. It just is. And I think that facing death from a young age, trying to run from it for so long only made the fear grow. But it’s not death I fear, it’s the unknown (What comes after? Will my family be okay after I leave, or will they forever suffer my loss?)
It’s the fear I associate with dying that scares me, not death itself.
Death is as natural as birth. An inhale and an exhale.
And I’ve found a lot of peace with this. I don’t want to die, but I’ve accepted that it’ll happen one day — regardless if it’s cancer or something else that leads me there. And that’s okay.
I’m not resisting it anymore.
Resistance is what causes us suffering.
Resistance causes SO MUCH suffering.
But when we surrender to the unknown and trust in the universe and the bigger picture, the divine plan — you can learn to let go. Let go of the fear. Release it. And guess what happens when you do that — LOVE floods in. When I emptied out my fear, it made room for more love to get in. Or rather, it’s allowed me to return to love.
It’s allowed me to become present in the moment and remember that this is why I came here. To be present. To live.
To love. We are love It’s our most natural state. When you empty out the fear, release and let go of false beliefs about yourself and your life — you will feel this inner peace. Let go to let in.
It’s like the ultimate freedom.
So, I’m trying to look at this as more of an adventure. A terrifying, exciting adventure.
Because that’s what life really is, isn’t it? It’s one big adventure, full of all the emotions on the spectrum. And shit happens, we go through the craziest things we could ever imagine, But it’s all part of the human experience. It’s why we’re here.
To experience.
To grow and evolve.
The only constant in life is change.
There is nothing to fear. We are spiritual beings having a temporary human experience — make the most of it!”
Thank you for sharing Ali’s powerful words again. What an impact she had on the lives of so many. I’m sending warm hugs all around – and holding space for -the Rieman family as they grieve and love. 🌻