SOME OF LIFE'S QUESTONS

Where Are They Now?

"More than [6,400 million] human beings inhabit this Earth of ours: every day . . . 100,000 ['s] of them die and a similar number is born. This colossal drama has gone on for tens of thousands of years: perhaps for hundreds of thousands, of which history retains no record. The endless procession of humanity has come out of the unknown, crossed the lighted stage of human life and disappeared again into the unknown. . . .

Each one of these passing millions was a human being with loves and fears, hopes and dreams like our own. To what goal and what purpose is all this? What has become of this vast procession which has disappeared into the past: where are they now? They have disappeared from the eyes of their successors as though they had never been..... [And we in turn] for a few short years try to weave our own dreams into realities on the same spinning orb. And what strange dreams men have! They know they, too, will die...."
Raynor C. Johnson in The Imprisoned Spendour (1953).


Jimmy Webb wrote a song in about 1985 which was sung by Johnny Cash, Kris Kristopherson, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. The album was a major hit, with the Highwayman being one of the biggest hits of the album. The song was about death and rebirth, either physical or through one's legacy. I chose to believe it was the story of reincarnation, which I have long believed in and which I have never found to be at odds with Christianity. Fully two-thirds of the world's population believes in reincarnation. Jesus promised us eternal life and what is more eternal than continuing rebirth until we attain enlightenment and all go back to the source from whence we came? It comforts me to believe I will once again be with those I loved and who passed before me and it comforts me to think that one day I will be joined by those who I am leaving.


Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a great pioneer in the study of life after death, compared a butterfly to the opening of a new life. As the caterillar dies, the butterfly is born into an even more beautiful form. Dying children she worked with often drew pictures of beautiful butterflies as they neared death. Perhaps they were able to see truths that most of us cannot see while we remain so grounded in our physical realm.

These thoughts are not new to me. My library is stacked with books on matters of life and death, birth and rebirth, and I have spent many an hour in prayer and meditation. But I find that my mind is naturally revisiting all these questions as I come to the end of my own life.

I was fortunate enough to experience visits from the other side on a couple of different occasions. The first was in 1988 when I was experiencing great distress in my life. I had recently divorced, was raising a child by myself, (I adopted my daughter's child) was working and attending college as a full time student. In addition, I had developed alopecia and had big bald spots on my head which required wigs for cover-up. One day I came home feeling particular sad or anguished and I sat in the big middle of my bed and burst into tears. I felt so alone and so frightened. Suddenly I felt the hand of my dead friend, Don Cohlmia, as he placed it on top of the biggest bald spot on my head. There was no doubt in my mind that it was Don, though he had been dead for several months, and I did not have him on my mind. I knew instantly that he was there to comfort me. Don stayed around me off and on for 5 or 6 months. I sensed his presence and heard him internally as he told me to fluff my hair up here and there and reminded me that I would look good as a redhead. He was a gay man and that's what Don would have done had he been alive to advise me and help me through those days. Then one day he never came back. A few months later I took his advice and colored my blonde hair red and have enjoyed that personna ever since.

The most recent visit happened about 2 years ago in the apartment where I live now. I was in bed with my cat, Abby, lying beside me. Suddenly I felt a little thump on my bed as if a small animal had leapt on the bed by my feet. I sat up to look, but there was nothing there that was visible. I knew, however, that it was Sasha, my beloved 15 pound dog who had been dead about 8 years. I don't know why she appeared after that length of time and don't recall if I was particularly upset about anything at the time that might have indicated I needed comforting. But for the next few months she jumped on my bed fairly often, as if to let me know she was still around and still loved me. She, like Don, also went on about her business after a few visits.

These things and my own belief system, which includes God, have supplied me with a feeling of peace about my life and safety. I think about these things, but most of my questions have been answered to my satisfaction.

2 comments:

Princess of CJ said...

hi brooks! how are you? not heard anything from you lately!

im hoping the best for you!
Monday, June 18, 2007

Brooks said...

Thanks, I'm well, Princess. Lots of things going on, but I'm fine. How are you doing? I'm very interested in how the baby is coming along!
Saturday, June 23, 2007