Beginnings and Ends

Recently at work a couple of my co-workers experienced the unexpected deaths of family members.  The sorrow at the tragic events was evident over the next little while as they attempted to readjust to the new life without their loved ones.  We often think of death as the end.  Due to my own beliefs I believe that it is not the complete end.  Death is simply the end of this chapter in our eternal existence.  This life is but a middle chapter in the ongoing saga which is life eternal.  To think this is the very end of life would be like opening a book in the middle, reading a single chapter, and then believe that is the whole extent of the book.  I know we existed in a life before ever coming to this earth through our mortal births.  There have been many chapters written in my book of existence that I simply don't recall at this point.  And that's okay.  I'm currently busy writing the chapter of my mortal existence which will direct the upcoming chapters after I transition from this life to the next. 

Even more recently I had the experience of watching my young daughter come into this world through the miracle of birth.  She, of course, couldn't come into the world in an easy way because she is my daughter, afterall.  Instead, she created a scene in the form of an emergency c-section causing nurses, doctors, mother and father to all go into a state of wonder and action.  Luckily both she and mother are doing very well and are happy and healthy.  Holding my little girl there are times when she will appear to stare right by me and is looking at something or someone.  Then she smiles.  Sometimes it's in her sleep where she will smile and once in a while even let out what appears to be a small chuckle.  I believe this is her looking back on some of the previous chapters in her existence and talking with some of the characters she has known.  She hasn't totally forgotten the early chapters which, as the rest of us, she will do given time so when the time comes for her to verbally express herself though words the memories will have faded and she will begin the process of focusing on her mortal chapter.  I wonder when she left her previous life and closed the chapter of her book how the people in her life there handled the departure.  Was there sorrow?  Was it bitter-sweet? 

As I look at the beginning and end of this mortal existence with the knowledge that we lived before and we will live after I can't help but ponder upon the sadness we experience at the death of loved ones here on earth.  I like to think that when I left the life I knew before I was surrounded by loved ones wishing me luck and giving me encouragement to do my best with the next chapter of my life.  I'm sure there was some feelings of longing to be together but don't know if there was really any sadness.  Imagine what it would be like if we could have that same perspective here in this life as we write the chapters of our lives on earth.  I know that death is only hard for those who remain behind because we miss our loved ones, we want them to be with us, we want to have more time with them.  Imagine the grateful reunion people must have as they begin the next chapter of their lives with loved ones who have gone before them to prepare the way.

My heart truly goes out to those who experience the loss of loved ones, especially when it is so unexpected.  I just pray there might be some small solace in knowing they have not truly died, only moved on to the next chapter of their lives to continue their book of life.  Just as my sweet little daughter is just beginning this chapter of her book of life.