Found in Neverland

I know I mentioned this in an earlier post, but it's obviously still on my mind and since no one is obligated to read anything I post here, I suppose it won't matter if I bring the subject up again. I went to the funeral service for Olivia yesterday. It was a beautifully uplifting and spiritual tribute to her life. I learned SO much from participating in those few hours, but I wish to share just one small slice of that here.

As some of you may know, there were several outcries, mainly from the religious right, against the theme of "pretending" brought up in Finding Neverland. The basic idea, for those who haven't seen the film yet, is that the lives of loved ones who have passed on continue through our memories, that you can imagine someone who has passed on back into your life. Is this really an unhealthy denial of reality and of the truth about the afterlife?

At the funeral, Olivia's great uncle spoke. He had gone to the Metropolitan Opera a few days prior to see Mozart's The Magicflute. He had purchased three tickets, but when the night of the performance came the seat next to him was left empty. He found himself desperately wishing Olivia was there "because she would have LOVED it." Then came to his mind a quote from a book he was reading recently. "Miracles are just a different way of looking at a situation." He decided to imagine Olivia sitting next to him enjoying the opera. He said, "She loved the opera! She thought it was a fabulous production in all respects except for the 40 year-old woman who was cast as the beautiful 18 year-0ld Pamina and was dressed in particularly unbecoming spandex." The truth is that she may have been sitting next to him that night. The truth is her spirit can, wants, and needs to comfort her family. The truth is they must be able to imagine to have their spiritual senses attuned to the loving communication from her that will speak peace to their souls. The truth is that her spirit still lives.