Paul sent us a story about a dream experience he had with his grandfather, who died of cancer when Paul was 20 years old. During his grandfather’s battle with the disease, Paul would take him for doctor and hospital appointments. Even though he knew the older man was dying, Paul was unprepared for the news of his death when it actually came.

“I remember the shock of all the emotions,” wrote Paul. “I was sad, I was scared, and strangely curious about what I was going through.”

In the hours and days that followed, though, Paul’s attention and that of his mother and sister turned to the pragmatic, as they prepared for the funeral. But, a few days after the funeral, Paul had a dream that felt so real it didn’t seem like a dream at all. Here’s what he wrote about it:

“I was standing in a massive station, like a train station, but I saw no trains. The ceilings were arched and as tall as skyscrapers, the walls were golden, and thousands of people were coming and going. I was standing in the centre observing the movements of all those people, when I saw Grandpa. He wore the blue t-shirt he always wore at home. He looked fantastically fit and healthy. He did a series of somersaults toward me and said, ‘Look at how well I am!’ He laughed and smiled and asked me to let everyone know he was okay.

“We embraced and it was so real, so warm, I could feel all the love flowing from him. Then he said he had to go and tumbled away into the crowds of people with his newly found gymnastics. I awoke in bed with tears on my face, sad to see him go but happy he was okay.”

Paul has learned a lot about spirituality since then and he says, “I now recognize that the experiences helping my grandfather taught me lessons about service and love.”

Thank you for this wonderful story, Paul. At The Meaning of Forever Project, we are seeking stories of people who have had comforting experiences with loved ones who have passed on. Our hope is that these stories will comfort others as well.

If you have a story to share, please send it to themeaningofforever@gmail.com

We would love to hear from you!