That is a comforting post Surfermom - I hope it is the case that I’ll see my departed much missed family some day. I have a sister and brother-in-law who are firm believers that we all will.
Who knows! In the same way our pets observe us as dully motionless, while from our perspective we are reading, watching, listening, and learning - newspapers, books, tv, internet, I suspect there is a lot going on around us that we simply can’t perceive.
That, Surfermom, is the best example of the afterlife, that I have
ever read, it is also very touching and I had a great big lump in
my throat, while doing so.
Thank you for letting me know.
I believe there is an afterlife. I recall when my grandmother was dying I stood by her bed in tears - she reached out to me and said “don’t cry, everything is fine your grandfather and uncle have come to show me the way” - they had both died several years before.
On another occasion I was in hospital having had a serious operation and saw my father (who had died 10 years previously) standing by my bedside - he said not to worry as it wasn’t my time
One of the fundamental beliefs of Judaism is that life does not begin with birth, nor does it end with death. This is articulated in the verse in Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to The Father of All, who gave it
That reminds me of the very charming Jewish legend of how a baby’s philtrum forms. Just before birth an angel lightly touches a baby’s face, causing the infant to forget all of its prior knowledge and leaving an indentation as a reminder of what is known before birth.
.
