Journey of Love: Memoirs and Life Lessons

By Marty Cole and Aurora Belderol

"Journey of Love" is a story of two kindred spirits from opposite sides of the world destined by grace and united by joy, music, and the soul’s unrelenting urge toward spiritual fulfillment.

As our current society influences us to become more polarized and isolated from each other, “Journey of Love” gives us an insight into the perspective of another to reveal that we are inherently more alike than we are different. We all want to love and be genuinely loved in return. We each want to feel that our life has a purpose, And for many of us, we are called by the whispering voice in our heart that invites us toward our spiritual awakening.

Although Journey of Love is the memoir and life lessons of two unique individuals, in actuality it’s one story, the story that each of us as divine spiritual beings having a human experience are all currently living. It is our narrative as consciousness told through the individual lenses of Aurora and Marty, celebrating what it means to be alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Sep 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781982252731

Marty Cole

Aurora Belderol is a spiritual seeker and accomplished pianist who has dedicated her life to inspire others to discover the music in their lives. She finished her bachelor's degree in piano performance, and minored in marimba perfomance at the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila, Philippines. She is the owner and director of Rising Stars Music and Performing Arts in Walnut, California. In her musical career, Aurora has received several distinguished awards for her service and support to the community she lives in. Marty Cole, a three-time cancer survivor, has lived a life filled with adventures and challenges. He was a community group leader for eleven years and has been a teacher for several years at California State University, Fullerton Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the Ruby Gerontology Center in Fullerton, California. He wrote "My Amazing Transformation of Love, Courage, and Wisdom", "My Love Story Book of Poetry", and co-wrote "Poetic Gestalt" with twenty-five other poets from the OLLI poetry class. He lives according to his motto: Spread love and gratitude every day.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Marty Cole and Aurora Belderol.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

844-682-1282

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Cover photograph is property of Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. Photo titled Moon Bridge at the Fabyan Japanese Garden.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-5272-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-5274-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-5273-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020914765

Balboa Press rev. date: 10/02/2020

Acknowledgments

Our Special Thanks to:

Mary Oxley and her team at Balboa Press

Daniel Cobo, our assistant

And to our families for all their love and support

Cover photograph is property of Preservation

Partners of the Fox Valley

Photo title: Moon Bridge at the Fabyan Japanese Garden

Symbolic Meaning of Front Cover

Two swans forming a heart: love

Bridge: journey, communication and connectedness

Trees: transformation, strength and growth

Green color: unconditional love, abundance, harmony and healing

This book is dedicated

to our loved ones

and all kindred souls.

Contents

Foreword

PART I

Aurora’s Story

Introduction

Chapter 1 A Divine Purpose

Chapter 2 Treasures from Childhood

Chapter 3 Honoring My Father’s Legacy

Chapter 4 Life’s Harmonies and Discords

Chapter 5 Discovering How to Sing My Own Song

Chapter 6 Thank You for the Music

Chapter 7 Melody for Two

Chapter 8 Celebrating Life

Chapter 9 Timeless Wisdom

Poems:      The Time of My Life

My Precious Jewels

One World in Unity

PART II

Marty’s Story

Chapter 10 Scenes from Childhood

Chapter 11 Finding Myself through Freedom

Chapter 12 What My Career Taught Me

Chapter 13 What I Learned from My Spiritual Journey

Chapter 14 The Wisdom Healing Circle

Chapter 15 How I Created My Life after the Circle

Chapter 16 What I Learned from Teaching

Chapter 17 What I Learned from Writing Three Books

Chapter 18 Aurora, My Inspiration

Chapter 19 Love, Compassion, and Unity

Poemes:    My Soul Mate, Rainbow Turtle

The Lighthouse

We Never Die

Afterword

Foreword

W hat do an accomplished pianist from a small island in the Philippines and a dynamic sales professional from Southern California have in common? Well, you’d be surprised. On paper, they may seem as far apart as the vast ocean that spans their places of birth. In reality, they harmoniously serve as one another’s most intimate reflection of all that life has inspired them to become.

My name is Lorenzo. I am the proud son of Aurora, and it is my distinct honor to be the tone-setter of this timeless meditation. It is the journey of two kindred spirits from opposite sides of the world, destined by grace and united by joy, music, and the soul’s unrelenting urge toward spiritual fulfillment.

As our society influences us to become more polarized and isolated from each other, Journey of Love gives us insight into the perspective of another to reveal that we are inherently more alike than we are different. We all want to love and be genuinely loved in return. We each want to feel that our lives have purpose. And for many of us, we are called by the whispering voice in our hearts that invites us toward our spiritual awakening.

Although Journey of Love is the memoir and life lessons of two unique individuals, in actuality it’s one story—the story that each of us, as divine spiritual beings having human experience, are all currently living. It is our narrative as consciousness, told through the individual lenses of Aurora and Marty celebrating what it means to be alive.

There are no words to describe my immense admiration for my mother and Marty for completing this book. My mom, who is usually a very private person, had to break through and transcend the fears that many of us undoubtedly face when conveying our innermost thoughts and feelings. Having been a firsthand witness to my mom’s personal evolution, I see this book as a testament to the high self-worth instilled by her parents. It is this belief in herself that gave her the strength to overcome insurmountable obstacles and become a successful and independent businesswoman. With her invaluable gifts of music and performance, she inspires all those around her with the confidence to sing their own authentic melodies.

As the great 13th century Sufi poet Rumi wrote, The wound is the place where the Light enters you. Marty has transformed the numerous challenges placed upon him and walks courageously, embodying a beacon of light and empowerment that is visible to all he encounters. His poignant message of letting go of fear and embracing the love all around us could not be more relevant today. Marty’s immense positive influence and unwavering belief in improving the life of others is beautifully exemplified by his two previous inspirational books, My Amazing Transformation of Love, Courage, and Wisdom and My Love Story Book of Poetry. I highly recommend you check those out as well!

I have learned so much and continue to grow with every meaningful encounter with these two blessed beings. Now I graciously invite you to come along on this bliss-filled journey, a Journey of Love.

—Lorenzo Caunan

PART I

AURORA’S STORY

Introduction

The Epiphany

I t was New Year’s Day 2018. In a vortex of joy from a spectacular celebration with my family, I had the inspiration to write my story and share the hard-won years of spiritual growth life has taught me. In a few months, I was going to turn seventy. Still with childlike wonder, I was excited about a new milestone happening soon, for I have always felt age is just a state