Death and Rebirth

Sometimes we have to experience death to know the wonder and beauty of life.
Last year a beloved friend of mine passed away quite suddenly and it seemed to come out of nowhere.  My cat Eddy crawled under my bed on Monday, March the 26th and died while I was out running an errand in my neighborhood.   When I found him, I clung to his body and cried out to the heavens in grief and shock.

During the days that passed after his death I realized in his own way he had known he would pass and in the days preceding his exit from this dimension he gently exhibited his love, patience and gratitude to me in small ways that only I would understand after his death.  I honor him and his life as he taught me a lot about love and healing when he was alive.

The day before he died I was out walking in my neighborhood.  It was foggy that day and just outside my house I heard a crow cawing, the sound of the crow’s voice echoed around me strangely as if it came from all directions.  I heard a distant rushing sound.  In retrospect I realize preparations were being made for Eddy at that time.  I have heard this sound before when a different friend died, right at the moment of the soul passing over I heard this same rushing sound.

The night after Eddy died I was arriving home quite late (I think it was around midnight) and I heard a bell tinkling, looking to my right a luminous white cat (Eddy was black) that looked exactly like Eddy.  He sat on his haunches as if he were about to take-off, the moonlight gently bathed him in a soft white light.  He looked at me half in recognition another half already somewhere else, and scampered away.  I never saw that cat again and I believe it was a visitation from Eddy, his way of letting me know he would be around.  Myself, and the remaining cats have had humorous visitations from Eddy reminding us, he is still about.

My sister Sherry died about three years ago and the week before she passed over I looked in on her remotely and saw an angel standing by her bed to take her over to the other side. The day after she died I was moving, all the power went out suddenly in my building on that day and while transporting the last of my belongings I had a vision of death being like a trip down the birth canal.  Not something to be feared but a birth into another world or existence. I believe Sherry was communicating that to me.

People have asked me what I think heaven is or if I have any insights into the other side.  What I have received through my dreams, visitations from my sister and guidance is first of all it is really important to make a good transition, I mean to go in peace, not hanging on to staying here.  To live out lessons learned here in this lifetime, on planet Earth.  What I have received is there are many, many dimensions or worlds and depending what our next experience is to be is where our soul heads to next.

I believe when death happens to our loved ones, it can be very profound and transformative to us as well, because we are exposed to the energy from these other dimensions, during and shortly after the physical death of the departed.  This energy if channeled properly can make us take stock of our own lives and we have the opportunity to make the necessary changes to live our lives with greater awareness.  Thus the saying sometimes we have to experience death to live life more deeply.

Lorraine Hughes © 2006