What happens after we die? Does our soul survive? Knowing there was not one definitive answer, I was content to wait and see, comfortable in my belief that all will be well. I was complacent. My belief system, acquired in childhood, had long ago been packed away, unheeded, and unquestioned. Then Mason died and I had questions, lots of them, but I had little foundation for understanding and acceptance. To me, Mason had been cheated, his life thoughtlessly ended by carelessness and indifference. His death was senseless.

There are many spiritual paths, be they religious or philosophical, and some of us take a while finding ours. One has to be motivated to leave the warm, cozy nest of  complacency, to face their fears and seek their truths. It’s been my experience that pain, grief, and injustice are great motivators. I’ve always felt that there had to be something more to our existence than this lifetime. My path led me to reincarnation, the belief that our souls are transcendent. These are my truths; the life we are experiencing at present is only one of many we have lived; we go through the cycle of birth and death time and again to further our soul’s development; each soul has lessons to learn and lessons to teach and sometimes these lessons are disguised as hardships, even tragedies; the soul is eternal. These truths began to enlighten and empower me, banishing the notion of senselessness. It would seem our greatest lessons are learned when we are brought to our knees. It’s stumbling through the darkness that encourages us to seek the light.

Somewhere along the way, many of us forget that we are spiritual beings having a human experience and not the other way around. Perhaps Mason’s untimely death was part of his life’s plan, a piece of the grand design that remains unknown and unseen while we are incarnate. I can’t say I know why Mason died so young but I can say, we have been forever changed by his life and his death. The lessons learned and the lessons taught are many. And I’m confident that a grand design exists, even if I can’t see it. This I believe; when once again in a state of pure consciousness, I will understand, and it will make perfect sense.