...and a time to die...

Sitting quietly in a hospice room with a man who is dying.  

He has been dying now for over a year…almost across the threshold…and then not. 

We have spoken of his dreams…of his high school sweetheart, his little gal, 

who he takes out for ice cream, who lights his face as he tells me of her.

We have spoken of his visions…the angels who visit him…regular folk he says, 

as he points out to me where they are standing around his room.

Today he is deep asleep and so we don’t speak of dreams and visions.  

We sit together…in silence…my hand on his arm…breathing together…no words necessary.

I don’t bring along a book to read to pass the time…I don’t check email.

Presence is what’s asked of me here in these moments and so I am present.

Presence is a gift I can give in this place and presence is my privilege.

He is to my left…and to my right is a vase filled with dead flowers…long dead.

I wonder…his flowers knew their time to die…when will it be his time?

We have spoken of death and he says he’s ready…but death is not quite ready for him.

The dead flowers tell me others are ready for him to die…but death is not quite ready.

I am not sure what all is happening…what I can’t see…but something is…we are not alone.

As I see a man who is sleeping…who is dying…who in this very moment may be being met at the crossroads, being welcomed home by angels and the little gal.

With love, Mary Jo

Mary Jo Heyen is a Natural Dreamwork Practitioner working with clients throughout the country and abroad in person, phone or Skype. Learn more about her work with dreams at www.maryjoheyen.com or  www.thenaturaldream.com