Hi Everyone,

The topic for today is: What's Our Defense Against Death?

I would always say to my kids that no matter how bad something was or seemed to be, that the only thing that mattered was to "take the teaching". I'd say, if you really screw up, but learn from it, then it hasn't been a total waste. If you don't learn from it, then it is a waste and you are bound to make the same mistake again...but if you take the teaching and learn something from it, it can improve your life.

And so I say, "What do we learn from the death of our child? What can we possibly learn? Even if you hear about the reasons for the death from a reliable medium, you still have to take that on faith. But, what do we really know? I'll tell you. What we know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, is that physical life is impermanent! What we know is that everyone we love and cherish will, at one time or another, die and there is nothing we can do to stop that. We can try to resist, but that is more or less like holding onto a rope that is moving through our hands and trying with all our might to stop the movement. Inevitably, the harder you hold onto the rope, the fiercer the rope burns!

So, what can we do? Well, we try to hold the rope more lightly and surrender to the terms of our existence. But, I believe that there is one thing we can do and it is this: Love everybody even harder! When I am down, feeling Danny's loss acutely, I hear him wisper in my ear, "Love Jess more. Have more patience for her. Put more of your love into everything. Take the teaching and realize that everyone and everything that matters to you, even that little dog Steven sleeping next to you on the bed, is impermanent---so appreciate them and love them double! And love me double too. The funny thing is, you already do. It's a great deal for me, because since I am on this side, it seems I can do no wrong! 'Danny did this, Danny said that', it's like I've become a living God, a walking legend...So then, REALLY take the teaching and love everyone that matters to you as uncondtionally as you love me now and you will show yourself, as well as death, that it can disintegrate the body but it won't ever disintegrate love....if anything, from my perspective, death intensifies love." And so that's my defense to death. I say, death be not proud, you can move the pieces around the board, but that's as far as the separation goes. Love spans the grave and outlasts bodies and outlasts lifetimes and outlasts you!

And so, remember to send your child all your love at least once a day. Dan confirms that they do feel it and are healed by it. This is something that you all can do and I find that it heals me too. I refer you to "The Love Infusion"...an exercise I layed out for you in a former blog.

Please keep in touch, let others know about our blog, and share how you are doing and what you doing and what helps you. What helps you can help the rest of us.

With Love,
Sheri