For Chris

The sun is down on a beautiful October evening. Just a few minutes ago, I was sitting in a hot tub, gazing out at the valley that was covered in mist under a clear orange sky. I began to talk to my Uncle’s spirit, who had just passed a couple nights ago in the Philippines. He was a beautiful soul, sensitive, brave, and intelligent, that I mostly had the blessing of getting to know just these last few months on video chat. But, he showed me so much compassion and love, as he validated my illness, and reminded me that I have worth during a very difficult time. I will never forget him for this. The percentage of my life that I was in contact with my Uncle Chris may have been very small, but the impact of his loving soul on my life is monumental, and will never be forgotten.

As I spoke to my Uncle, I looked up at the blue sky at dusk, and imagined the path to the outer heaven that lives around this planet. I have traveled the beginning of that road with the spirit of a dog that passed in 2008, that was like a son to me. He was my son, my first puppy, and I have written about this experience many times. Because of this, I was able to imagine my Uncle passing into this beautiful outer-space, after he has traveled the globe and said his goodbyes to his wife in the Philippines, myself on Lopez Island, my mother in Japan, and his sisters in Oklahoma and Oregon. We are a family, connected by the spirit of a beautiful and sensitive man, no matter how divided in the past. Tonight we are together, all of our hearts communicating with Chris, and saying goodbye before he takes his long awaited journey.

This whole experience of getting to know my Uncle for the few months before he died, helped create depth in my life. I believe in family. Unfortunately, it is a common story that we as families are distant from eachother, sometimes not just geographically, but psychically as well. Though, I believe that in our hearts we remain forever deeply connected with those that we spent our early years of life with, even if it is in a memory that is now hard to access. It is as it is meant to be. We do have choice in the matter, and these experiences only remind me of the importance of slowing down and attempting to grasp God’s greater meaning and purpose for us. The message is truly brief, and “God cuts the thread”. That is all we are connected to this world with, a thread. But our threads are woven with others, even if we forget this at times. We are more loved than we could even imagine. I did not realize how much my Uncle Chris had been loving me throughout my entire life, until just these last few months of my adult years. His love and prayers may have actually carried me through more than I know or realize. And I am truly grateful for his existence in this world. Bless you on your journey, Chris.