This is one of those more challenging posts so I will try to capture my thoughts as accurately as I can. Death has touched my life more this year than it ever has. It is not something most of us like to discuss but it is something we all have to face. I am trying to become more open and accepting to the fact that with each passing year, it will impact my life and those I love more and more. Cognitively, death and tragedy are simple to address but from an emotional and visceral state, I find it far more difficult to wrestle with these opponents... And perhaps, that is the evasive notion I am missing. My approach or framing of death is churning the fog that makes it difficult to clearly see what I must come to terms with. Perhaps death is not an opponent but a partner in life, one we must all eventually and fully embrace.
If I am being honest with myself, I would have to state that I am agnostic leaning towards the sense that we are all energy and that energy, be it of inert, bacterial, plant, animal or human existence is interconnected and cannot be destroyed, only altered. Within that notion of death I believe I will continue on and that I would be connected to everything and everyone.
If we do continue on after death in the way I think we may, then I am not so sure I will be meeting up with anyone in the afterlife. Under this perspective of death there is no actual afterlife as I will simply continue on as energy in any number of different forms... a continuation of life in a way. Maybe there is a collective knowledge in that most basic form of existence, energy, and at that moment we experience an afterlife as we commonly think of it. One thing is certain, life as we understand it is finite and precious, I try to appreciate each moment it offers on the spectrum of emotions and experiences and to share. I miss the people that are no longer in my life and there are many; but, I can still reach out to those with whom I have simply lost contact or at least I can try.
It is those who have passed that trigger the greatest reflection, thought and if not framed properly, emptiness. I am trying to re-frame my concept of death; whereby, those who have passed have been part of my life and as such still are part of my life, my memories, thoughts, emotions and person. In this way I don't feel empty with their passing but at peace knowing they have given so much to me and I accept that we simply will not be able to directly exchange more. We can however still share indirectly our thoughts, memories and conversations and in this way we may still exchange, share, live and grow knowing their presence.
Then there is love and perhaps this is the dimension upon which the afterlife exists. Maybe there is something born out of the love we have for one another that does continue on after life. Perhaps love is the soul that stays intact and simply continues to transition through life and death in a cycle of learning and growth. Maybe love is the unifying quantum of all our souls.
Today's Soup.
Inishmore (The Big Island), County Galway in Ireland is quite a special community and quaint location. It is the largest of the Aran Isles in Galway Bay, boasting it's rugged windswept landscape, pre-Christian and early Christian ruins as well as a strong and vibrant Gaelic community. It's a great place to help you slow down and relax; and if you are more ambitious, there are a number of bed and breakfast opportunities should you wish to spend a more significant amount of time exploring the island. Make sure you get a good pint of Guinness at one of the pubs when you sit down to appreciate the seascape and pick up a warm Aran knit sweater to remember your trip.
