I posted this to KSA yesterday and in my somewhat fraught state I didn't think about the other Herc'n'Xena based lists. I'm sorry if some folks get this more than once - I'm sorry if it upsets anyone. That is not my intention. I believe that grief is the sharing of the lifee energy one soul gifts to another as they touch, and the touching of souls is such an ephemeral thing that Kevin's soul touched so many of us directly and indirectly that we all have a little energy to share with him on his last journey.
The Golden Tears
The soul was lost from its body, that much it could tell. It didn't realise until the boat stopped moving that it had even been travelling. A gentle, gnarled hand helped the soul to rise, steadied it as it disembarked.
"Don't worry, they're nice folks, they're waiting to welcome you. You go on now, don't keep them waitin', ok?" The boatman watched the soul as it took a few hesitant steps towards the ornate gates that lay partially open, waiting for him.
Him, he recalled that he and his body had been a man.
Stepping through the gates he faced a pair of brightly shining beings, both smiling, both welcoming. The peace radiating from them eased hurts the soul did know it had possessed.
"Come, welcome. Rest yourself here for a moment, before we take you onward." The older seeming being of light guided the soul to a chair and helped him sit down. The soul was surprised it didn't simply fall through the chair, but here he had some semblance of substance. "Normally I would judge a soul such as yourself before it can pass onwards, but for you we have made an exception."
"Why me? What did I do that was so special? Who am I anyway? I don't remember being anyone at all.." The soul sat forward, hunched in its near physical misery.
"You have done us, especially my nephew here, the biggest service anyone has ever done us in easily the last five thousand years." The older of the two beings of light informed the saddened soul.
"Uncle, already he is feeling his loss. I think this can all wait, don't you?" The younger being stood up and crossed to the now weeping soul. "Why do you cry?"
"I've lost something. I know I have. I don't know what it is, but I know its gone and I'll never get it back." The soul felt as if fire touched it, such was the sense of loss, of pain.
"Come then, come with us." The younger of his two hosts helped the soul to his feet and put an arm around those weighted down shoulders and offered comfort. "This way, and you'll see, you'll know." He led the soul to a simple door and opened it onto what the soul could only call paradise.
"Where is this?" The soul asked as he looked all around. As he stepped through the door he felt the first gentle touch of a warm, salty rain and felt the sting of a sharp grief. "What is this?" He asked, putting out a hand to catch those strange silvery rain drops. Then he noticed a golden one and touched before it could fall to the dry, greedy earth. The shock of that touch brought a shaper pain.
"The silver tears are the thoughts and memories of all you've touched, the gold of all those you loved. Each one is a memory or simply a kind thought. Each one will rebuild what and who you were. And slowly, very slowly, the tears will change into sunshine and you will be able to move on to join everyone else." The older being pointed to a sun drenched valley that seemed to go on forever. "Each teardrop you miss will go on and become a flower, each one you catch will become part of you."
The soul didn't hear much of the explanation, he was dancing in the rain of tears, picking out the precious golden droplets and remembering wondrous things.
"I was a father!" He said, showing his companions a slowly fading golden teardrop. "And a husband!" He said as another joined it. As he stood there the golden tears were drawn to him. "I was loved!" He said, in awe of his luck.
Those tears that he missed impacted the dry soil and sprang into life as a flower, the scents they gave off wove a tapestry of memories from people he knew he had met, and people he knew he had merely reached out and touched somehow.
His companions smiled at him, soothing glances of understanding.
"Join us when you are ready." The elder whispered as they both turned and walked away.
_________
One day the pain will leave our hearts and only the joy remain.
Huggs to one and all
Shamenka
Broken links or other errors can be sent to
Carrie. Suggestions are also welcome.