From the Other Side

“Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness"...(George Sand). I recently had an in depth discussion with a friend who happens to talk with spirits. Yes....you read correctly. Much like the popular Spirit Channeler's of today, she can have in depth discussions with people who have crossed over. It doesn't really matter whether you believe in talking with spirits or not because the messages from the other side are profound and worth considering. The message was clear and concise and meant to help facilitate understanding and healing. The message was from a family member and he (the spirit) said that as he was crossing over, "before I knew what was happening, a mirror was held in front of my face." The mirror was a direct reflection of the life he lived, the choices he had made and of the souls he had hurt along the way. He was greeted by loved ones who had passed on but was shown immediately, the ways in which he veered off course during his life here. He apologized to me for his error in judgement and for his selfishness. He felt regret and knew that he could and should have done more to help me and others in his lifetime. His realization was clear, that he had grown to care more about money and stuff or "toys" as he put it, than people. He apologized for that and saw clearly that he did not make the most of the life he had been given. What an amazing message really. Eerily, the messages he gave could have come from Ebeneezer Scrooge himself. How many people are living their lives right now, the way he had? So many live selfishly and with little or no regard to helping others. It's not as if people aren't given some nudging or reminders to do the right thing. The problem is that many people choose to continuously turn a blind eye to those reminders and they forge ahead only thinking about themselves. That certainly is their choice, but it's not without consequence. My family member has discovered that even though he is on the other side, free from the burdens of being human...he is still in pain. His pain isn't of the body any longer but he suffers from pain of the spirit. His burden is being able to see things vividly and with such clarity that he's left facing how he hurt many people along the way and didn't do everything within his power to help those around him. I love the message he delivered because it's such a reminder to make the most of this life and to pay attention to one's conscience. Not that having nice things isn't enjoyable in life but more importantly, are there people in your life you've pushed away or whom you could have helped one way or another but haven't? Are you so overwhelmed with over commitments, worrying about what others are doing or thinking or trying to keep up with the status quo that you are living an empty existence? My family member doesn't get a re-do. He made his choices to honor money over people and now he has to face the music, so to speak. His lessons offer healing in that others can learn from his mistakes. This story isn't new however. Inspirational writers, musicians, and spiritual gurus throughout the ages have urged people through all creative mediums to pay attention to love, service to humanity and seeing the beauty all around us. Yet, so many people still bury their heads in the sand and ignore the numerous nudging they receive to reach out to others around them, to connect and to start really living their lives. All any of us can do though is to keep trying to wake people up. Life is full of choices....to live a life with love and forgiveness or to live shallowly and in vain. “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Up to his nest again, I shall not live in vain"...(Emily Dickinson).