Janine has long followed a spiritual path called ECKANKAR, which teaches the eternal nature of Soul, and the study of dreams to connect with this higher part of ourselves. So, she was not particularly surprised when the recently-deceased mother of a friend from her junior high school days visited in a dream with an important message. What did surprise her was the immediate acceptance of that message by the woman’s family.
Here’s how Janine tells the story:
“Sandra was my best friend in Junior High. We had important things in common: We both loved theatre, acting, music, clothes and—of course—boys. Also, our fathers were business partners, and that meant that outside of school, our families moved in some of the same social circles. I knew Sandra’s parents, Ellen and Stan, and often encountered her shy younger sister Mariah when I visited their home.
“When we reached high school, however, Sandra and I grew apart as our fathers’ partnership dissolved and we made other school friends. Even though we did see each other now and then as the years passed, it was not until a wedding of a mutual childhood friend that I realized Sandra’s mother, Ellen, was suffering the final stages of cancer. It was a shock to see her so emaciated, depending on a cane to walk and wearing a patch over one eye.”
Janine writes that Ellen passed away soon after their meeting—but, that wasn’t the last they would see of each other.
“Some time after that, I had a vivid dream,” continues Janine. “Ellen appeared and said she needed help, and that she was coming to me as I was the only one she could reach. She asked me to go with her to her family home, because she was concerned about her youngest daughter, Mariah. In this dream, Ellen was quite restored. I can still recall her appearance in detail: She was robust and hale, in possession of both eyes and walking without a cane. Ellen wore a full-length robe that appeared tie-dyed with luminescence as it flowed with many shades of blue, from the palest hint of turquoise to a deep azure.
“Ellen explained that her passing had not been well-handled by Mariah, at all. She said Mariah was lost, withdrawn and almost inconsolable in her grief. In life, Ellen had been her youngest daughter’s rock and lighthouse. Without her, Mariah was floundering. Ellen asked me to look in on Mariah, to help where I could. I agreed, and the dream ended.”
Ellen was able to make contact from beyond the veil because Janine had a special appreciation of dreams, and for the idea that neither Soul nor love ever dies. But would Ellen’s family would share that view?
“The next morning, with some trepidation, I called Ellen’s husband, Stan. After the usual pleasantries, I got to the point: I told him he would probably think I was crazy, but that his deceased wife had come to visit me in a dream and that she had asked me to offer assistance to Mariah.
“Instead of the incredulity I expected, Stan responded with deep relief. ‘Oh, thank God!’ he said. ‘We have been so concerned about Mariah and I’ve been helpless to know what to do.’
“So, we arranged for me to speak to Mariah and pass on her mother’s message. She accepted it readily, greatly reassured that her mother continued to exist, had not abandoned her, watched over her still, and loved her, always. Mariah returned to herself for the first time in ages, brightening as if someone had turned on a light in the girl’s dark room of despair.
“As it turned out, Mariah was very interested in acting as a career. Since I was a professional performer, I took her under my wing, introduced her to people in the industry, helped her find classes and counselled her on the potential pitfalls. We became confidantes and friends.
“Through the years, I kept a watchful eye over Mariah until she eventually enrolled in university, found a life partner and began to move forward with her life.”
Janine is grateful for the part she played in helping Mariah recover from her grief.
“I was able to receive Ellen’s call for help and act upon it,” says Janine. “In so doing, I helped demonstrate the eternal bond that exists between all Souls who love. The experience with Ellen and Mariah was a privilege and a blessing that confirmed death is an illusion, a mere doorway we pass through to a greater expression of ourselves, and of Divine Love.”
The Meaning of Forever Project continues to accept stories of comforting experiences with loved ones who have passed on, and of near-death experiences that have helped to show the continuation of life beyond the physical body. You can email your story to us at themeaningofforever@gmail.com and you can find more about our project on our Facebook page, and our Meaning of Forever Website.
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