The Accidental Buddhist

When Brian visited this summer (yes, I am doing a fast-forward here), he referred to himself as a "Buddhist by accident". I love this idea. It describes him perfectly, in his "be here now" life. It was not a choice, he did not convert. It just happened one day. Overall, he has become more accepting of what happened, as well. For the first time since the cardiac arrest, he was able to discuss the future and what it means for him, instead of responding to questions with stony silence. A graceful acceptance has come over him.
From the beginning, Brian has maintained that he did not see "a big bright white light" like that described in so much of the near-death experiences of others. Of course, the joke has always been that he wouldn't remember if he had. Be that as it may, Brian was a confirmed atheist and somewhat irreverent about it. He has not been fearful of offending others, but was careful to infuse humor. One of his favorite movies is Monty Python's Life of Brian,which you should watch if you never have. This summer, he told me he is now an agnostic, having decided that there must be something out there - and, perhaps, having embraced his Accidental Buddhism.