Elders of my partner’s clan went missing in the storm of last week. They had been hunting, and as the days dragged on, hope of their safe return faded greatly in the snows and subfreezing temperatures. The happy news is that they were found yesterday, at a lower and warmer elevation, on a neighboring reservation, hungry and thirsty, but OK. We are jubilant, thrilled, deeply joyful.
And so we give Thanks, deep gratitude that their journey through life, rich and full of years as it was, will continue on with us. The scare made us realize how very valuable they were to all of us in this present life, this now moment. The real possibility of them transitioning to pure Spirit, of their going to Heaven, joining the Divine, or whatever you call it, was not comforting, even for the deeply religious among us.
Whatever your views are of what happens when someone dies, it is rarely a welcome event. It leaves unsaid words, unfinished business, unrealized dreams, both for the person and for family and friends. My mother, on her deathbed, regretted she had been born too early to walk on the moon. That couldn’t be changed, but what could be was the time we spent together before she passed, a wonderful time of talking, saying valuable things to each other, being company for each other through the long night.
We were lucky, not everyone has that opportunity. It is up to us to make it happen, even if the results are not what we wish. “Shower the people you love with love” is more than just words to a song, it should be a mantra for all of us. Who knows, we might find our own dreams are achieved that way as well.
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