Ramblings of an Inquisitive Mind

Halloween night. I live so far off the beaten path that I never expect any kids to stop by and trick or treat. This year was no different – and that is okay with me. My friend Sylvia came over and we ate pizza and had lots of laughs.   

After Sylvia left, I still had dogs to take out and other things to do before going to bed. It was around 11:30 or so when I took Freddie out, and I had the most amazing experience. There were no stars out and not much light in the sky, and it felt like rain might be on the way. The temperature was just right. The wind picked up and the leaves on the trees started to rustle. The leaves made that noise they make only in the fall, when they are dried and lifeless and just waiting to drop and cover the ground. The air was unbelievable – I just wanted to take a deep breath and hold it in my lungs forever.  I looked up into the vastness of the sky and I swear I felt the presence of the souls of loved ones who have passed from this world. It was so uplifting and comforting. I felt cared for and loved.

One particular soul seemed to stand out from the rest this night: my dear, sweet Aunt Mildred. I could almost see her smiling and hear her laughter. It warmed my heart to think that she is watching over me. But she was not the only one, and I felt completely surrounded and protected by their love.

When I came back inside, I felt like I was walking on clouds and I remembered a conversation with my friend Claudia from Brazil. I am so interested in people that every time we get a foreign visitor at the lab, I have to start with the questions. I love to learn about other cultures and traditions. Several years ago I met Claudia, a post-doc from Brazil. I was very interested to know about Brazilian holidays and celebrations, and I asked her about Halloween in Brazil. It is not a holiday in Brazil, but the younger generation seems to be adopting some of the North American ideas about costumes and candy. Claudia told me about Dia de Finados, which is celebrated on November 2. She told me it is a time to visit the graves of loved ones and pray for the souls of those who have passed away.

The Brazilian holiday is similar to the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead. In Mexico, the celebration runs from October 31 through November 2. To celebrate, people build altars and place the loved one’s favorite foods and drinks on them, along with photos of the loved one. They go to the cemetery to eat, drink, and tell stories about the deceased.

I really like this idea of souls revisiting the earth and their loved ones celebrating them. So now every Halloween, I will think about these traditions and what it means to have a day of remembrance for those who have left this earth. I think I will start my own Halloween tradition of thanking and blessing my loved ones—both human and animal—who have left this world physically but continue to touch my life every day.

I believe in souls. They are the essence that makes us who we are deep in our core, the part that stays with those who are left behind. When I think of the people and animals I have lost, my eyes still fill with tears. It is as if that place in my body – that part of my soul – feels lonely, and longs to be with them. So maybe I will not wait for Halloween to celebrate the blessings I’ve received from knowing each one of these beings. Maybe, instead, I will try to be aware of their closeness to me every day. If I hold them close and remember them, then they are still here.

Maybe that it what everlasting life is – that once a soul touches this earth, a ripple effect begins. And once begun it multiplies endlessly, as that soul’s ripple touches other souls and the ripple continues generation after generation. The whole world is changed in some way each time a soul is born and each time a soul is taken away. So many times, I forget this fact of our connectedness, but it is true. We are all connected – living on this planet hurling through space.