There is a difference between those who believe in an afterlife and those who don't. In my world, we go on living in a place where we meet up with our loved ones and friends. To me it is a garden filled with beautiful flowers and a shining city of white that sits upon a hill. Before my brother-in-law passed he had a near death experience. In his, he met up with my father-in-law in front of a fountain filled with sparkling water amid the purest white background you can imagine. Don told him to go home that his time on Earth had not yet finished. So, reluctantly, he came back.
As for myself, I have had a few out of the body experiences. Laugh if you will, but that garden? The one with the flowers? I've been there and I've seen the city as well. I have stood outside my body gazing down at it while it slept absolutely aware that I was not the body sleeping on the couch. I was far more than that.
To me, life goes on and what we do here and who we are here means we must accept the fact that we are forgiven yesterday, today, and tomorrow, as long as we accept that forgiveness. This does not give license to treat people badly, no, this means we must do more to help those who are falling behind. If a friend believes it is bad to eat pork we don't not eat pork in front of them. All things on Earth are pure, it is our thoughts that are not. We must respect the beliefs of others and not expect them to respect ours. In some cases, they can't, but that does not mean we should not stand up for the rights of others.
Grief, like all emotions, hits us differently. The one thing I have learned is to respect the grief of others. Some are quiet, some are doers, some are cleaners, and some are, well, they like a little drama. All are expected, all are accepted, as long as each respect the rights of others to grieve in their own way.
Life is short so live each day to the best of your ability. Live, laugh, love to your utmost. Respect the rights of others and give others a helping hand up when they need one.
You never know when it is your turn.
RSS Feed
