Since just one month ago, I have had to say good-bye to so many dear loved ones. Some of these deaths were expected, and others came up very unexpectedly. None of them were easy. So as I was reflecting on these 9 deaths (that’s correct, 9 deaths of my friends’ loved ones this month), I couldn’t help but ask the question, Why?
That is a difficult question to answer for anyone, clergy and non-clergy. In fact, we have to delve deeply into our own Souls if we are looking for an answer that helps us understand this, at least in part. This is the answer that came for me, but your answer may be different:
All year long, we have referred to 2015 as a Year of Transformation, both on the mat and in our Circles. If you’ve had any kind of deep conversation with me over the past year, we probably discussed your own transformations this year. Transformation reflects change, and change can be very hard for most of us. It takes us out of our comfort zone into new territory. If we are not willing to change, that new territory can be very scary and challenging for even the bravest of us.
In my belief system, we all have Soul contracts. These contracts were made before our birth, and they laid the foundation for the work we wanted to do here on Earth. Did we need to do more heart work? Then we would be presented with opportunities (challenges) for opening our hearts. Did we need to learn to be more frugal? Then we would be offered opportunities of being poor and learning to survive. For those of us who believe in reincarnation, this lifetime is the opportunity to balance ourselves from our last lifetime. What we lack in this lifetime, we were probably abundant in, in a previous lifetime. Balance.
Understanding Soul contracts can help us to understand why people are born and then die. Contracts get completed and then the Soul departs. That is the simplest explanation.
But of course, this becomes more complicated, because our Soul contract is not just between God and ourselves, it is also with many of the other Souls surrounding us: our families, friends, co-workers, etc. So when we lose a loved one, that is also their contract with us. It is an opportunity to learn and grow in our faith. We don’t typically understand our lessons from our loss until a few years down the road. For some, not at all, if they are not willing to ask that tough question, Why?
So in our loss, we must start to look for the Why? We must look into our hearts to find the answer. We must look at this as our opportunity to grow in our faith. And in this Year of Transformation, we must understand that this purpose is twice-fold. These beautifully departed Souls are available to serve us for our Soul purpose from the other side, much better than if they were here with us today. It stinks because we cannot see and feel their presence as we once did, but we should remember that they are here with us always. They will never abandon us, and they are using all their Heavenly love to guide us and help us live our purpose.
So as we grieve, let’s not forget that we are living our Soul purpose, we are living our Dharma, which I call Dharmic Living.
Much love to you all,
Jill/ Chilla