Love in the Aftermath: What Surviving Taught Me Before My Son’s Wedding

Twelve.
Twelve inches.
That’s all that separated my body from the full force of a falling tree — a distance small enough to steal a life, yet somehow wide enough to save one.

And now, just days later, I will watch my son get married.

Life doesn’t always give you symbolism… but this week, it handed me the clearest one possible.
I survived just in time to witness a new beginning.

This is a kind of awakening you don’t plan for.
It finds you.

Pain

This is for anyone who has ever lived through a moment so powerful, so unplanned, so frighteningly close… that it changed how you’ll remember every moment that follows.

This is for parents whose children are stepping into adulthood.
For survivors who wake up grateful, not unscathed.
For anyone caught in the strange, sacred overlap of vulnerability and celebration.

It is a strange thing to nearly die and then walk into one of the most meaningful days of your child’s life.
Strange.
Humbling.
Profound.
Transformational.

Reflection: The Collision of Terror and Joy

I’ve replayed those ten seconds in my mind over and over — the tree snapping, the sprint, the impact, the hospital, the what-ifs.

And now, just days later, I’m smoothing out my shirt collar, preparing to stand with my family as Michael marries the love of his life.

How do you reconcile fear and joy in the same week?
How do you walk forward when your body still aches, but your heart is overflowing?
How do you hold the trauma and the blessing simultaneously?

The answer came to me slowly, quietly, as I lay in bed recovering:

Love is the thread.
Love stitches the broken pieces back together.
Love is what lets us live again after life tries to take us.

When you come close to losing everything, you start to see everything differently:

Every hug feels heavier.

Every breath feels like a gift.

Every moment feels like grace.

Every relationship feels like a purpose.

This week, life reminded me twice that love is not promised… and yet it is everything.

The Shift

A near-death experience presses the reset button on your soul.
A wedding presses play on your legacy.

Together, they create a moment of profound transformation — a sacred pivot between survival and continuation.

I don’t walk into Michael’s wedding as the same man who stood behind that wood splitter.
I walk in with:

A softer heart

A clearer purpose

A deeper gratitude

And a humbler understanding of time

The Tiger in me fought to survive.
The Phoenix in me now rises to witness a new chapter in my son’s life.

This is the integration of love, resilience, and generational hope.

The Five Pillars of Tiger Resilience in the Aftermath of Awakening

Purpose 🎯 — Heart

Moments like this redefine what matters.
Love becomes the strongest compass you have.

Planning 🗺️ — Mind

You begin planning life not around urgency, but around meaning.
You think differently about time, energy, and legacy.

Practice 🔄 — Body

Your body becomes a living reminder to slow down, to heal, and to move intentionally.

Perseverance 🏔️ — Spirit

You keep going, not because you’re unafraid, but because love pulls you forward.

Providence 🌅 — Spirit

You survived this week for a reason.
And that reason is unfolding right in front of you.

The Four Domains: How Love Helps You Heal

Body 💪

You feel every step, every bruise, every reminder that you’re still alive.
The body carries the memory — but also the miracle.

Mind 🧠

Your thoughts reorganize around gratitude, awareness, and the new priorities awakened by trauma.

Heart ❤️

Your emotional world expands.
You love louder, hug longer, speak more tenderly.

Spirit 🔥

You sense the deeper meaning.
Why are you still here?
Why this moment matters.

Love heals across every domain.
It is the great integrator.

Phoenix Steps: Moving Through Joy After Almost Losing Everything

Honor both emotions.
Celebrate the joy. Acknowledge the fear. Both belong.

Slow your pace.
Presence turns ordinary moments into sacred ones.

Hold your people close.
Love is the most potent medicine.

Let yourself be transformed.
Don’t rush back to “normal.” Let the new version of you emerge.

Choose reverence.
For life. For time. For the ones who walk with you.

Journal Prompts

• What moment reshaped how I love the people around me?
• Where am I being called to slow down?
• How has awakening changed my priorities?
• What legacy do I want to witness, not just leave?

RISE

This week, I nearly died.
This week, my son begins his married life.
Both moments are true.
Both moments changed me.
And both moments remind me of this:

Life is incredibly fragile.
Love is powerful.
And awakening is the bridge between the two.

So as I stand tomorrow and watch Michael say his vows, I will be carrying a more profound truth in my heart:

I am alive.
I am here.
And I get to witness this moment.
That is grace.

📍Please leave a comment or reply on what moment reshaped how you love the people around you.

Rise Strong and Live Boldly in the Bond of the Phoenix. 🐅🔥

Bernie & Michael Tiger         

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