"The journey is complete, and you are made new" (McCormick, L. 2013, p.144)

Several years ago, my husband shared a metaphor about death that has stayed with me. During pregnancy, a baby in the womb can hear muffled sounds, experience vibrations, sense touch, and respond to stimuli. The space between a growing baby in utero and the outside skin of a mother’s belly is about an inch. The baby is just one inch away from the outside world, waiting for the miracle of transition. Before birth, the baby and mother find ways to communicate and experience each other despite the physical separation.

What if the afterlife was just beyond a thin, invisible veil, only one inch away? Could this help us reframe how we connect with those we’ve lost?

Imagining our loved ones being only an inch away might encourage us to stay open to new ways of communicating and feeling their presence. Like a baby kicking in the womb, perhaps our loved ones send us similar “flutters” to get our attention. These signs let us know that they are near. Maybe the separation is temporary, held in place by a necessary but permeable inch, which will, in time, fade.

Día de los Muertos: Celebrating Life, Death, and Continuity

Each year, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd in Mexico and among Mexican communities worldwide. This vibrant holiday invites us to honor our loved ones who have passed, not with quiet grieving, but with lively celebration. I’ve experienced the holiday in Mexico, where parades,........

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