In the middle of the night, I found myself startled awake. My grandmother, now deceased for several years, appeared in my dream. She didn’t speak. But as other members of my family sat in rows waiting for a performance to begin, she slipped into the seat next to mine, smiling with her bright, pink lipstick hued lips. Dressed head to toe in a beige and black pantsuit, there was no mistaking who this was. My grandmother, of blessed memory wanted to be right by my side.
I am a firm believer that the soul continues well past the demise of our physical selves. That those we love share messages from the world to come and guide us, holding our hands and opening our eyes. Sometimes, those messages come through in a dream. Other times, we see a butterfly dancing through the sky, a light flicker in the middle of a room, or notice something that only our loved ones would have understood. Sometimes the messages are as clear as letters in a book. And often, we strain to feel our loved one’s touch, just once more.
Was the dream an avenue for my grandmother’s soul to offer me wisdom or advice? I have no idea. But her presence gave me comfort and suggests, that in this foreboding world, we shouldn’t feel alone.
Bereshit reminds us, “God formed man from the dust of the earth. God blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.” Meaning, sitting within each of us is nishmat hayyim, a divine soul that was gifted from the Holy One of Being. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer says, “The soul returns to the place from where it was given….” After our bodies languish, the soul’s journey continues, reuniting with God. I like to think, joining God in guiding our paths.
What a special visit from a woman whom I miss very much. What a special lesson: I may strain to hear my grandmother’s voice, but she is with me. Of that, I am certain.
Shabbat Shalom
