The Soul of Death/ The Soul of Life

Some time ago ,I went to the funeral service of a person  from whom I had grown apart during the last several years of my existence. I made the decision to distance myself from this individual because I did not agree with the way that he chose to relate to me and other people in his world . Our relationship was interfering with my serenity; I did what I needed to do for myself. I have no regrets,it is  a choice that I would make again given the same circumstances. 

During the service,  many great and positive memories of his life and times were shared , memories  of his positive qualities, and his impact on his friends and family. I didn't give any thought to the conflict that contributed to my original decision to distance myself from him. I found myself focusing on his soul qualities, because after his physical death, that is what remained. Sometimes it is in death, that we understand the true soul of a person. There is no doubt in my mind that  his soul and its unique characteristics will live on in eternity. Perhaps someday his soul will decide to inhabit another physical body to continue to learn and evolve. Maybe it already has happened.

Before I sat down to write this blog entry, I  also gave thought to my daughter Jeannine's funeral service, over ten years ago. During her eulogy, I talked about her passion for life ,her unconventional wisdom, and spontaneity; the unique qualities of her soul. There were the normal challenges ,particularly during her teenage years that at times contributed to stress and worry on my part and occasional conflicts in our relationship. Jeannine's death stripped away that tumultuous part of our earthly relationship as father and daughter, leaving me to grieve what was left behind and what she was taking with her on her new journey. I didn't discover that I could have a pure  relationship with her soul until much later in my journey after her death. Now that I have, it has contributed to profound spiritual lessons, clarity and peace that I never thought possible. In death, Jeannine has become my greatest teacher. Her soul is a life source that has allowed me to transcend the pain of her physical death to find greater meaning and purpose.

I also believe that we are capable of seeing the true soul of a person while he/she is alive ,particularly if there is an instantaneous connection, shared values and acceptance. There will be many instances, when this will not occur.  After all we are human and there is an inherent imperfection in that.   However,if we can honor our human foibles, we will continue to evolve spiritually and pass on our wisdoms to others who are experiencing the challenges of death or other life changing transitions.