People have been dying since the beginning of our time on earth. And even though we seem to finally be addressing this situation a little more openly these days, there is still a disconnect between what we’ve been taught about death and what we experience when it actually happens to someone we love.
I don’t remember being taught that once someone dies there is no way to interact with them anymore, but that is definitely what I grew up believing. I think most people did. But if you ask just about anyone who has been through a significant loss, that is not what their experience would lead them to believe.
When a loved one dies, those left behind get glimpses of the world of the mystery to which their loved one has gone. They can no longer see them, but their other senses quite often perceive them. Through dreams, through wafts of a scent, through visions, through sounds and symbols; even through visitations. Skeptics want them to believe they’re making these things up, but what if they’re not?
What if the transition we call ‘death’ is simply a passage into another realm, to and from which we can still interact?
What if this transition leads those left behind into greater spiritual awareness and maturity?
What if our beliefs about death could bring comfort instead of despair?
What ifs are important. They challenge old beliefs that never served us very well. Even if our what ifs aren’t exactly right, they give us hope. And in the middle of a devastating loss, hope is the most important thing to have.
I hope someday we get over the idea that death is the end, because we’ve lived under that dark cloud long enough. Being open to the mystery is so much healthier.
©2014 Kathy Curtis Ink