Tammy's Tidbits

Yesterday I attended a funeral for one of my best friend’s father. Funerals are never an easy thing. You don’t really know what to say to the person that has lost their loved one. The best you can do is show your support by letting them know you are there for them. It got me thinking, do our religious beliefs help us cope with death? If we believe that there is life after death, does our mind convince us that we will see them again someday and therefore make it easier for us to deal with the “temporary” loss? Do we find it easier to cope by telling ourselves that they are in a “better place”? How do people deal with a loss when they believe that once you die, that is it? I can tell you that in the religion that I was raised in, they believe that there are actually 3 kingdoms of heaven and depending on how you act here on earth will determine which kingdom you will spend eternity. Now don’t quote me on that but that is what I remember them teaching me. It never made sense to me. The teachers also taught that if you were in a higher kingdom, you could go visit members that resided in a lower kingdom but those in the lower kingdoms were not allowed into the higher kingdoms. That leads me to believe that you are not going to necessarily be spending the eternity with your family or loved ones. Now THAT blows me away and makes me nervous to pass on. I believe in god and I believe in heaven and hell and I believe that those that go to hell are those that deny god if they have been given the opportunity to believe in him and refuse. Although, when I think about it, I have some good arguments for that issue. Our human minds can not always conceive every concept. For example, if we live for all eternity, do our bodies age? Who determines what age we will remain if we don’t? Will there be children or will we all be adults? Keeping those thoughts in mind, it is easy to convince ourselves that eternity does not exist and maybe we are taught it does so that we can learn how to cope with death more easily. They say that time heals all wounds and I agree with that. At first we are devastated but as each day passes, we find that life for us goes on and we find a way to move forward. So no matter what your beliefs are, I think that God knows what is in your heart. Whatever you believe, I hope it helps you through your times of need and sorrow.