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Birth and Death

Death is out of the closet more these dayswe all played, while she slipped deeper and
than in the past, but it's still not vieweddeeper  into  unconsciousness.
as a natural process of life. The challenge
lies in the understanding of what changes andMy uncle was a bishop in the Episcopalian
that  which  never  changes.church. Episcopalian clergy visited our
gathering every hour. They would say a
For instance, my body, my possessions, theprayer, then join in the discourse for a few
people around me are all subject to aminutes,  to return some sixty minutes later.
momentary disappearing act, and could be gone
at any time. I may as well accept that. MyThat three day period was an exercise in
life  will  be  much  easier  if  I  do.joyous  comradery.
But the silence and peace that is of God/essThe  angels  were  there.
that I access during meditation is changeless
and permanent. My body and possessions andThose  who  had  gone before were also there.
all the people in my life are impermanent.
The more I access the peace, love andMy aunt had lost a son and a grandson many
forgiveness that IS god/ess, then when a lossyears  before.
occurs, which it will most assuredly, then I
will be equipped to stand with strengthThey  were  there.
against  this  adversity.
Then, the time came, and my Aunt went on to
I am one of those people who finds thejoin  those  who  were  waiting.
passing of people from this life to the next
to be an enlightening experience. I was withThose three days were over. We had to return
my mother when she passed. WOW!! What power!to the world where death is not discussed. Or
The entire room filled with light, her spiritif it is, it's seen as a calamity and
moved noticeably up and out from the top ofdisaster.
her head, and the 73 year old body that
remained lost all its wrinkles. My dear mumCertainly, to tell the story as I experienced
looked  like  a  fourteen  year old princess.it: that those three days were probably the
most meaningful and beautiful three days of
Then for a day or two, I felt truemy life, was honest, but censored
unconditional love and compassion forinformation.
everyone and everything that came my way.
I'll never forget that. Of course, ordinaryBut  I  saw  first  hand the following truth:
grieving took place around me for my mother.
My father had much fear and doubt about trueThat the body is a garment that we shed at
matters of the spirit so we comforted him thethe moment of death. Conscious contact with
best we could. But my mother had manyGod/ess is a skill that when practiced,
spiritual women friends with whom I couldenriches our understanding of death, grief
share  my  experience.and  life.
When the experience receded and I returned toThere is no right or wrong way to deal with
ordinary, everyday consciousness, I neverthese  issues.
forgot what happened. I will draw upon it for
insight when the time arises in the futureSometimes the only way is through it, like
for another major loss. The gifts ofwhen  a  baby  is  born.
spiritual recovery make it possible to see
the  miracles  of  life  and  death.As a Labor and Delivery nurse, I've been
around many birthing beds. The difference
The same great feeling of eternal intimacybetween the birth and death bed is
occurred around the death bed of my father'snegligible.
sister.
The Angels and unseen forces are present both
A group of us held a vigil around that bed:places  and  times.
her son, my cousin; his son and his wife and
her  mother;  my  husband  Tom,  and  me.The healing that is possible is beyond
understanding.
We told stories about her life and the part



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