Elijah Cole

I don’t impose my views and beliefs on him, as I think it’s important that he make his own decisions, even at the age of ten – but I do discuss openly and honestly whenever he asks or broaches a subject that I feel very strongly and have knowledge about. This morning was one of those times.

He was filled with excitement the moment I woke him, and couldn’t wait to tell me about his dream. He saw Sadie (piggy) last night – played with her, pet her – and she was healthy, happy and glad to see him. She licked his hand and he could feel her warm tongue, wet with doggie slobber and her sleek back fur smooth as silk – suddenly his grief was gone.

He’d told me just two days ago, between tearful sobs that he was having a hard time remembering her, the way she was before she got sick. Now he remembers – and although he still misses her, he knows she’s better there than here.

We were brushing our teeth, side-by-side when I felt the urge to share. “You know what dreams are, don’t you?” he looked at me but didn’t answer, toothbrush frozen in place, waiting for me to continue, as he knew immediately this was going to be good.

“When we dream we’re in an altered state of consciousness and sometimes, when we reach a certain level, our spirits are able to detach themselves from our bodies and travel to other dimensions and realms of existence.” His eyes lit up and he quickly finished brushing and spit, wanting to hear more – our eyes fixed in the mirror.

“If we’re real lucky we remember the experience when we wake. When a dream is so vivid and clear and you just know in your heart that it was real – those are memories of our journey we took in spirit, when our bodies were so deep in rest that we were able to detach and travel to other worlds.” His response….

“And when you’re asleep, and feel like you’re falling and your body jerks real hard – I bet that’s when your spirit goes back in your body.”

Ah, my Son – my beautiful, brilliant, soulful boy…how proud I am, you haven’t a clue!

He hugged me hard and into my breast whispered, “I love you, mama, more than anything in the world!” I looked down into his face that so much resembles mine as to frighten me sometimes, into crystal blue eyes that have seen a thousand lifetimes and said, “You do know that we’re not human beings that have spiritual experiences from time-to time – but that we’re spiritual beings, having a temporary human experience?”

He looked at me and smiled, his expression saying, duh mama, and said, “I know. I try to tell my friends that all the time, but they don’t listen.”

I laughed in delighted bliss, for I couldn’t help myself and told him not to fret – that he can’t expect the average ten year old mind to grasp such a concept. He shook his head, “Yeah, I know, but maybe one day they’ll get it!”

~ by Jill on May 16, 2008.