never forget to laugh
 

My journey (Jerry) with Bill and Carol began in 1978 when she first visited Tiburon in the fall of that year. I was still practicing psychiatry and Bill was new in town. I could tell after the first time all of us were together that he was impressed with her. I was not surprised when he started visiting her in Denver and know that being there was a kind of escape for him. I (Diane) met Carol in 1982 when she was in Tiburon and also recognized that she and Bill had a unique relationship. Little did any of us know at that time all the ways our lives would be intertwined over the years or just where our work would take us.


This book is not simply a biography, but a body of work that integrates the facts of Bill’s life with Course teachings and the personal reflections of more than thirty friends in a way that creates a unique and meaningful experience for the reader. Bill was a man of opposites and contradictions who did not fall neatly into categories.  He was also a very private person and in reading Carol’s account of his life, we discovered many things about him that we did not know despite our close friendship and all the years we spent together. That was a heart-warming experience for us. As those of us who were there in the beginning of ACIM history continue to age and pass on, there is a sense of urgency to put our experiences and insights on paper so that others may learn from them. We are grateful Carol has chosen to do so in regard to Bill’s life.


After reading this book, we found it hard to imagine incorporating so many details about Bill into one document. Carol has accurately expressed the impressions and impact that Bill had on the many of us who loved and appreciated him so deeply.  In many ways, it is a love story about Bill and his many friends, from comfortable close associates to casual acquaintances, whose insights and experiences with him are included throughout. It’s also a love story about Bill and the Course and, finally, about Bill and God.


The offering of this book about Bill’s transformation is a gift for those who choose peace of mind. Many of us feel a need to own our thoughts and attitudes, heal our split minds, and thereby heal the world we see. We take an important step in our journey when we become aware that it’s only our own thoughts that hurt us and offer forgiveness instead. Bill’s story is one of giant steps taken through willingness to forgive.  Bill was a partner in the original transcription of A Course In Miracles and a true practitioner of its teachings.  One of his favorite phrases was “celestial amnesia” and he suggested we all practice forgetting everything unloving about our past. His continual practice of forgiveness, his kind presence, and wonderful sense of humor all led to his ultimate release.


Carol’s love for Bill and the Course shines deeply in every line she has written here. With this book, she brings a balanced perspective about his life so others can have a better sense of what motivated him.  It is a window into his heart and soul.  What a gift of love she has created for us all. We feel certain that Bill is blessing her with his wit and smiles wherever she goes, with every Course workshop she teaches, and with every word she has written within this book. We are grateful that you, the reader, have chosen to share in this love as well. 


With boundless love and peace,

Jerry Jampolsky, M.D. and Diane Cirincione, Ph.D.

 

Foreword by
Gerald Jampolsky, M.D.

and

Diane Cirincione, Ph.D.


Preface


Afterword