The Journey

The Journey--

She could tell she was at the end of her journey because the bright, white light that had been her guide was slowly fading.  It had been so warm and inviting inside that light.  She tried to remember when she had felt so loved and protected.  

A round, white table slowly came into her view.  There were six chairs around it waiting for occupants.  She wondered what to do.  Should she make a decision about which chair to claim?  Should she wait for someone to direct her to the correct one?  Should she continue walking around the table into the unknown?

As she was about to continue her walk, five lovely spirits appeared.  Each took a place at the table.  One chair was left.  Evidently it was for her.  So, with no questions or comments, she joined the others around the table.

Silence.  Before when she was part of silence, she felt uncomfortable.  This was completely different.  She felt an anticipation.  Something special was about to happen.  It was going to be worth the wait.  She relaxed into the joy of the moment.

Eventually one of the spirits seated around the table began to speak.  This spirit began his story by saying he had lived such a wonderful life.  His parents were doting.  They loved him beyond measure.  He had siblings to share life with.  He had his own room and enjoyed many activities with his family.  He went on to tell about his school experiences and finally his adult life.  As he spoke, everyone listened intently.  His earth life seemed perfect.  He then shared that his life ended with a disease that had no cure.  He said he was a little surprised that his life ended in that manner, but he was okay with it.

After he finished his story, silence once again filled the air.  There was no hurry here.  Everything happened when it was time.  It wasn't long, however, until another spirit began to share.  Her life had not been so sweet.  She was given away at birth.  While many who are given away find themselves in lovely homes with loving parents, she did not.  She shared that she was moved from family to family never finding a true home.  The one thing she wished for was a sister.  She had found a friend later in life who fulfilled that role.  She shared that her life had been difficult, but even amid the difficult circumstances, she had learned to survive.  In fact, she thrived.  She worked for a company that truly cared for its employees.  She had advanced quickly.  She shared that she met a man, fell in love, married, had a couple of kids. She was able to provide a loving home for her family, and each of her children graduated from college.  Her husband had been loving and kind.  Her life ended quietly in her bed surrounded by her family.  She was so pleased with it all.

The new arrival listened carefully knowing her time was coming.  One shared that an accident took his life.  He had not expected that.  It was all so sudden.  Each one took their time telling the story of their earth life.  Each shared the joys and sorrows they had experienced.  No one was sad.  Everyone was joyful as they remembered life.

Of course this is from my imagination.  When these thoughts appeared in my mind a few days ago, I was quite surprised.  Where did they come from?  Why were they floating around in my mind?  Did I see something on tv that sparked a thought?  Or did something I read in a book move me to this new place?  Whatever the reason, I am grateful for them.  How comforting to think that moving from this reality into the next is serene.  And how wonderful if we really do have the opportunity to listen to others tell their stories.  Often while we are here, we are so busy we have little time to sit and talk about anything deep.  We try to keep our conversations light and fluffy.  But, honestly, we live in the deep end of the pool much of our lives.  We should not be afraid to be real, should we?

I was conforted by the thoughts that appeared.  They spoke of joy, love and care.  They spoke of no judgement.  No criticism.  Simply love for all around the table.

My guess is--even though this was not part of the imagining--that after the stories were shared, all the spirits moved to another level of existence leaving the table vacant for the next arrivals.  The beautiful part of  this is no one was ever alone.  All were included.  

Should I post this?  I have no clue whether I should or not.  Yet, somewhere deep inside of me I feel I should.  And now I have.