Category Archives: life and death

posticon Presence

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A few weeks ago, a friend, Cathy (not her real name), I’d known all my life died after a painful illness. She and one of her closest, lifetime friends, Jane (also not her real name), spoke with one another as Cathy died.

They were fully present for each other as their long journey together came to a quiet end. It was quite a deeply emotional experience for them both, as you might imagine.

Jane gave Cathy the greatest gift any of us can give another—the gift of her presence.Read more

posticon Life, Death, and Beyond

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Most humans believe that you come into these bodies and you live for a little while, and you get it right or you don’t, and then you leave—when what is really happening is you are eternal. You never really leave. ~ Abraham with Esther Hicks

Spirit

Most humans fear death. That’s a “fact of life,” as you say.

We say there is never any reason to fear death—if you remember who you are.

And who are you?

Most humans would answer that question with their name, or nationality, or some other limited way of identifying themselves.Read more

posticon Graveyards Revisited

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Three weeks ago, we did a post called Graveyards. It generated some interesting thoughts and comments, on and off our website. So this week, we’re revisiting the subject.

Spirit

A few nights ago, Johnny had a vivid dream. When morning came, he recalled it in detail.

In the dream, he was speaking with a young woman he knew who had died a few days earlier.

Linda (not her real name) felt lost and alone. So Johnny was helping her get adjusted to her new life beyond the physical world.Read more

posticon Euthanasia Revisited

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We’ve talked about euthanasia a few times over the years. Since all physical life ends in death, euthanasia is a near-constant subject of interest. And a subject of conflict.

A few days ago, there was an article about Helen, the world’s second-oldest gorilla. She was very popular with her keepers and the public.

But she had to be euthanized a few weeks ago because her health was declining. She was 64, far beyond the typical female gorilla life expectancy of 39 years.Read more

posticon Graveyards

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When my son was growing up, he and I loved to visit graveyards. Through the years, we visited many. They ranged from the United States Civil War battlefields, to those of the American Old West, and those of our Italian immigrant family.

As we strolled among the gravestones, reading them as we walked, we often felt a deep sense of peace. It may seem ironic, but these scenes of death brought us feelings of healing and comfort.

Spirit

What you feel when you visit graveyards is a piercing of the veil between life and death, between the physical and the spiritual.Read more