On Monday, August 7, 1989, (the importance of the dates will be clear later) a tremendous new phase of learning began. I was asked to look into a financial entanglement a friend (I'll call Mary) found herself in. By Wednesday, August 9, 1989, it was clear to both of us that her husband was a pathological liar, and had used and betrayed her. That night she confronted him, and at 10 A.M. the next morning, Thursday, August 10, 1989, sat in the chair in front of my desk and told him she was divorcing him.

Thus began a very close relationship in which we had to deal with a financial nightmare that wasn't resolved for seven years, emotional turmoil and personal family matters. As we were dealing with literally every aspect of her life, there were no "secrets". I had also introduced her to A Course In Miracles (ACIM), and we had reviewed and discussed the difference between "special" and "holy" relationships. ACIM makes clear that "secret" thoughts are what keep us from sharing all that we think and feel, thereby keeping us from the "holy" relationship.

A few months later, we stopped for lunch after a hectic morning. Before getting out of the car, we decided to take a moment to center, to reach our inner self. I took her hand as we centered, looking into each other's eyes. That was the first time I ever experienced what is now a normal occurrence, ONE PULSE. We shared One pulse, not two. Then, there was a KNOWING of another mind in mine, and mine in another. And then THERE WAS NO ME, there was no sense of me as a separate individual being, there was a KNOWING of a PRESENCE so far above us, and it grew, and grew, and grew until we had to STOP or our heads would explode. We both said the same words exactly together "did you......." and stopped, and ROARED with laughter. There COULD BE no question "did you experience that?", as we had started to say.

From that experience with the One Mind, we knew the folly of human beings trying to keep "secrets", for all of the things we would keep secret pertain to the ego, the body, the material world, none of which are real to the Knowing of Love. And by sharing the "secret" thoughts, we uncovered our mistaken beliefs, the "sins" that kept us (in our judgment) from God, Oneness. As we shared more and more, our connection as Mind grew stronger, giving us the ability to communicate with Mind at any time, regardless of the distance between us. After seven years, that connection remains unbroken, and we KNOW it is eternal. And we have both learned to extend it to include others.

On Monday, August 7, 1995, exactly 6 years to the day, Mary called to advise me that a couple I had been helping were abusing my financial assistance. I called them, and we agreed to meet, with Mary, for lunch. Only the wife (I'll call her Mary2) showed up. Mary "connected" with Mary2, and called me after lunch to tell me that Mary2 was in the exact same circumstance she had been in 6 years before, married to a pathological liar who was "using" her.

Over the next two days, we discussed matters at great length, and on Wednesday, August 9, 1995 Mary2 confronted her husband as Mary had 6 years before. At 10 A.M. on Thursday, August 10, 1995, 6 years to the hour after Mary had, sitting in the same chair, Mary2 decided to leave her husband.

Mary2 grew more quickly in spiritual awareness than anyone I had ever seen. Our relationship grew, and took my awareness to levels beyond anything I could imagine. In October, however, she began to focus more on the ego, the material world, and withdraw from the close spiritual connection.

Her material world reflected the shift in focus, and became more difficult. Things that had been flowing smoothly and easily became troublesome. Her promising career began to develop roadblocks, and life became less happy for her. A downward spiral had begun, and she withdrew more and more from her spiritual self.

A photographer friend, who in August had shot portfolio pictures showing the fullness of her inner beauty, returned in mid-October. He was astonished at the change in Mary2, both in manner and appearance. He asked "where did she go? I look through the camera lens, and no-one is there?" After shooting a few rolls of film, he stated "she used to be special, there was a very special beauty before, but now she is just like everyone else, a painted body trying to be beautiful."

I seek only the wholeness of our One self, and the sharing of the path to that awareness, and thus seek that in all relationships. Mary2 attempted to bring her material world viewpoint into our relationship more and more. We discussed it at length, and, though she was aware of what was occurring, continued to withdraw. We were both unaware that we had completed a portion of our learning together, and were co-creating more lessons.

Suddenly, at the beginning of November, Mary2 was gone. She left without a word, thus fulfilling her own prophecy of early October (see The Dream). Yet this, too, was a perfect co-creation, for in examining my part in this play, I discovered my errors, leading me to the lesson shared in Grief.

It wasn't until 6 months later that I discovered the secret thought, $100 given to Mary2 to repay a loan I had made to a friend. Mary2 had kept it, and with that one secret thought, of "guilt", felt separate, and could no longer remain in the awareness of Oneness. Her ego self could not hear herSelf shouting "I am not a victim".