The Earthquake That Changed My Life: The First Phase of My Second Life
- Neriman Gök
- Jan 15
- 3 min read
The Earthquake That Changed My Life: The First Phase of My Second Life
The great Marmara Earthquake that I experienced in 1999 brought not only physical but also spiritual destruction. At that time, in the midst of great chaos, I was living a life imposed on me, but with the maternal instinct within me, I was trying not to separate my children from their biological fathers. I had made a promise to myself in my last year of Sakarya Health Vocational High School: My children should never be separated from their families as I had been. However, there was something I did not realize during this effort: I was imposing on myself the dictatorial rules that were once imposed on me. I had to learn to live with submission, and I could only realize this with what my experiences taught me.
Earthquake and the Struggle for Survival
I received a phone call at the health center where I worked as a midwife and nurse. I was devastated by the news that there had been an earthquake in Sakarya. My family was there, my son was only two and a half years old and I could not reach them. I was in great fear and anxiety. Fortunately, I learned through the ministry that they were fine. I immediately requested my transfer to Sakarya and arrived there very quickly.
At my first duty station, Toyota-SA Hospital, we were working day and night like many other healthcare personnel. During the Second Düzce Earthquake, I carried the patients I was responsible for to the garden and tried to ensure their safety. As the days passed with aftershocks, we were alone with our fears and helplessness.
During this period, I had to send my daughter to Adana so that she could continue her education. My son could not speak anymore. I was trying to live in the container and at the same time I was fighting for the future of my children.
First Encounter with Death
One day, while doing a transaction at a bank in Adapazarı, I suddenly had difficulty breathing and started feeling dizzy. I was taken to the bank doctor's infirmary and told that my blood pressure was extremely high. The last thing I remember was telling them to wait for the ambulance and whispering my name. Then everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, there were doctors and support staff at my bedside. I was trying to breathe in an oxygen tent. They said I had a brain hemorrhage. The doctors wanted to transfer me to Istanbul Haseki Hospital, but I was too attached to leave the hospital where I was working. I decided to stay there and receive treatment.
The Changing Point of My Life
My brother forced me to go to Ankara, then to Adana. Being able to see my daughter Ezgi in Adana and hug her gave me strength again. However, my son was in Sakarya and my heart always stayed with him. What I experienced taught me a truth: No matter how hard I tried, the things that were supposed to happen were already planned by the Creator. The more I tried to change my destiny, the bigger the impasse I was being dragged into.
This realization was one of the most important transformation points in my life. Learning to surrender, to stay in the flow and to feel that the Creator was protecting me was the beginning of my spiritual journey.
Life teaches us its lessons in different ways. For me, earthquakes, chaos, fear and surrender were teachers. This was only the first stage of my spiritual journey. Many more milestones were waiting for me. However, this first stage was one of the most important steps that made me "me" and brought me closer to the Creator.
Neriman Gök (Inner Path)January 15, 2025
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