Live life to the fullest, but then where does it go?  Recently we have been given the option of saving everything “on the cloud.”  This new concept made me laugh, when my aunt who is not what you would call tech savvy, offered her sympathy after my hard drive failed.  I opened her email, wherein she asked, “Did you put it on the cloud?” Answer was no, however, I did have a long talk with God and all spiritual beings he my have been having tea with and prayed everything would be recovered – it was – I sighed – computer died.

So, considering the overall ratio in the world towards spiritual beliefs, I find it awesome the company who is sworn at, threatened, sued and in general hated for their software, went to the clouds for a new horizon.  Could it be that indeed when the memory chips are down there is only one answer after all?

The debate over life and death and what does or doesn’t await us, will never be answered.  Even with that last man/woman standing, opinion will be against fact and until there is no more breath in the debate the question will remain.  Many of us have seen the last breath in a pet, person or computer.  There is a fight for life, maybe a signal the end is coming and then a bond you both realize will never be again – last month, it was an overheated hard drive holding all of my writing and 3 unfinished books.  Panic was not an option.  I also have looked through tears into the eyes of a beloved dog, who knew it was time to go.  We loved to the end.  The most sobering though, was my mother.

Mom struggled as she left life, her breathing heavy and a cloud of emotion hung in the air.  No, I did not want her to go, but realizing it was just her body that now lived, I knew she was not happy.  Sitting with her for hours into the night and early morning, I walked away for a few minutes, leaving her breathing hard, her face taunt, mouth open and her eyes shut tight as she appeared to hide in sleep.  When I returned she had died.  The room was calm, morning sunshine was peeking in and no matter how odd it may sound, there was life in the room.  I looked at my mother and truly took a deep breath.  Both eyes were now open and almost sparkled as they looked upward, her mouth was not only shut, but had a smile on her lips and her hands were lying together.  My thoughts were clouded, but my heart was clear.

As we are told in life, the body in death once it enters those last stages, is on a morbid autopilot, that doesn’t lend itself to opening and shutting the eyes and mouth.  But yet here was my mother, as peaceful and serine as she ever was in life.  All I could say in that moment was “who came to get you mom?”

There is a well worn adage about a cat having 9 lives; a cat food company has made a fortune on it and those who have escaped endangering situations joke about it.  However, for me and  the wisdom of Mr. Willie Wonka, “Everybody has had one and one is enough for anybody.”  I think that wisdom was proven in this one life , so well lived, and  whether she went up to the cloud is human speculation at this point.  What I do know is for all of her life, mom had unwavering faith:   Faith in her God, faith in her ability to do what was right, faith in her family and fellow man , but most of all faith for anyone in need.  I guess the best way to remember mom now in this technologically advanced world, is to know she lived a leap of faith when it was needed.  Her prayers uploaded everything important from her soul to the cloud, and she knew it would be safe and there when she needed it.

In other words, when you prepare to leave this earthly plane, get comfortable in your seat, no need for a seat belt, since it is the bumpy ride you are leaving.  Pay attention to the fact there are no aisle seats so watch the clouds.  Should it become necessary for a soft landing, there are exit doors, but highly unlikely you will need one, because after all, when God closes a door; he opens a window.

  *In memory today of my dear friend Melissa, who unable to fight her demons any longer, took flight on the clouds.  I will miss you.  Thank you for the light you shared in life.