Headlines, Comics and Obituaries: these are the parts of newspapers I read first. The Headlines, to be aware of the goings on in the world; the Comics, to be amused; the Obituaries, to see if anyone I know has died. Often, I only find names of strangers, but fairly frequently I learn of the death of former classmates or their parents, friends of the family, people I may have worked with or known in one capacity or another. Sometimes, I am able to attend the funeral, or at least pray for them and the families. I am also drawn to reflect on my own journey towards this passage to a new existence.

I've always believed that when we die, we go to heaven ... or hell. I was present at my father's bedside when he died. I have also been present when many of our sisters have made this passage into eternity. In most cases, it was a very peaceful event.

I see death and dying, as a process of rebirth. One day, at the death of a sister, I understood in a totally new way that death is but a passage into a new and wonderful, albeit unknown, life. From the womb into this world, from this world into the unknown of "life after death", we move continually into newness, even as we traverse this earthly life. Horizons expand, new worlds are opened up, and new freedoms are experienced.

Yes, there is a grieving, because the known must be left behind, and the unknown must be explored, experienced and embraced. Parents, family, and friends in this world; God, Jesus, Mary, saints, and all who have passed on before us, in the next: people are there to offer guidance and support.

Death and birth happen constantly in my life. Am I always ready to live through the process? Am I ready to welcome newness even as the familiar becomes unfamiliar and transforms into the unexpected?