On Departure: In and Out of the Garden Gate

Another much-repeated metaphor of the Faith... The Baha'i Faith is like a beautiful garden. Some only admire it from outside the garden gate, ooh-ing and aah-ing. Some enter the garden to tend it and never to leave its beauty. Still others enter to tend the garden but find for some reason that they must depart it once again. The Faith is open to all to admire, to tend it, or to leave it. The garden gate opens in and out. Humankind has free will. Linda's story is an illustration. Here are the last two paragraphs of Part 6 of a series of posts.

And that's the end of the story of why I broke up with RK. After he left I felt free to pursue the other relationship and that is working out well for both of us. RK still lives next door and we are all on friendly terms.

And as for my religion, though my new significant other encouraged me to pursue it and though I said some Baha'i prayers and considered my relationship to the Faith, I've decided not to get back into it for so many reasons having mainly to do with my personal interests that won't mesh with Baha'i life, and my emotional problems which include extreme guilt trips when I can't be the 'perfect Baha'i'. So I'm on my own now, still very spiritually alive and loved by God, but not getting into any organized religions. I am grateful for the time I spent as a Baha'i. It taught me a lot. Also I'm grateful for the time I spent with RK. I think we both accomplished a lot, I got to save his life which makes me feel very good, and there was no harm in it.

Linda, "Why I split up with RK - part six," My Space