Many people believe that Halloween is a night when the line between the physical world and the world of Spirit is exceptionally thin. With that in mind, I want to share a story with you that is not only appropriate for Halloween, it is also inspiring.
When Carol and I lived in Dallas, Texas, we spent a fair amount of time visiting and caring for Carol’s mother, Ethel M. Marsden. Ethel lived in a nearby nursing home, and after years of declining health, Ethel finally made her transition to the next plane of existence. She was laid to rest in her long-time home of St. Louis, Missouri.
A few months later, as a thank-you gift for my support and assistance during that difficult period, Carol bought me a beautiful painting of a dragonfly. Dragonflies were not especially significant to either Carol or me. But the painting was created by our favorite artist, and he had used our favorite colors—purple and blue—so naturally, we were attracted to it.
Immediately after purchasing that painting, we discovered that in many circles, the dragonfly is considered to be a symbol of transformation. We also found out that certain Native American tribes believe that dragonflies carry the souls of the departed.
We had no idea how significant that information would become!
You see, both Carol and I were present at the time of her mother’s transition, and Carol, in particular, was having a very hard time letting go of that final, painful image of her mother’s withered and lifeless form.
One day, Carol felt divinely guided to visit the gravesite of a loved one buried right there in Dallas . . . far from Ethel’s final resting place in St. Louis. As Carol stood at the grave, a fluttering motion caught her eye. It was a dragonfly hovering around a headstone a number of rows away. A few minutes later, that dragonfly had been joined by several more. And later still, dozens had gathered at this single spot in the cemetery.
Carol was just about to leave—and was, in fact, in her car—when she noticed that even more dragonflies had now converged at this one place on the grounds. Carol sensed that something very important was happening, and she felt divinely directed to get out of her car and walk over to that headstone. And when she did, guess what name was etched in the granite. Ethel M!
That’s right. Out of hundreds and hundreds of graves in this huge, metropolitan cemetery, Carol had been drawn by a group of dragonflies to the one headstone that bore her mother’s name.
Immediately, Carol understood the message. Her mother was no longer sick and withered . . . she was transformed! As Spirit, Ethel was now dazzlingly beautiful and flying free! And Carol was now free, too—free of that disturbing, lifeless image that had been haunting her thoughts for so long.
Were those dragonflies actually Carol’s mother trying to communicate with her? Was Ethel letting Carol know that—as Spirit—she still existed, and that she was once again happy and whole? That’s for you to decide.
What I do know is this: We live in a miraculous universe, and we are intimately connected to everything in it—both the seen and the unseen. When you are open and receptive to divine guidance, and when you follow that guidance—no matter what form it comes in—you will always receive what you need . . . including the healing of a troublesome thought, or the lifting of an emotional burden.
Here’s to Carol for following her guidance, and for reconfirming for us all that we are, indeed, eternal beings . . . and that life never ends . . . it merely transforms.
Steven
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© 2011 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC
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