Learning To Know Joy In The Afterlife

Shortly after my father’s death in 2005, I started sitting in monthly mediumship circle with three friends. It was on our third gathering that my dad began the first of many communications from the wonderful world of spirit.

Energetically it seemed most appropriate, because one of our sitters had been my dad’s hospice nurse. How lucky I was during those final six months of my dad’s life, not only to have the wonderful support of this earth angel from hospice, but also to feel so connected to her through our interest in things of a psychic nature. What a bonus then to have her as an additional link to him in our psychic circle.

Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Last year, there was what felt like a void, because my dad was absent for three months from our sittings. When he arrived back after his absence, I asked him where he had been and he replied, “Learning about joy!” Wow, that was rather profound for me, because my dad never really knew, or perhaps never allowed himself to experience joy while he was in this life. The only time he really seemed happy was when he had what he referred to as “several sherbets under his belt,” meaning he’d be rather intoxicated.

I felt both sad and pleased. Sad, because he never knew joy as I know it – just rolling around on the floor playing with my pets, sharing a joke with a friend, or being elated when a client comes back to say there has been an upturn in their life. But, I was pleased that he was now finally allowing himself to learn about and to experience joy.

He always seemed to look for a reason to be unhappy, or worried in this life. I loved him dearly, but looking back he was always searching, hoping to find joy in some or other country we migrated to over the years, or basically when his ship came in, in order to find a reason to be happy. He made a lot of people happy with his music, but I guess he wasn’t at peace within himself. That exhilarating feeling of being at peace with ourselves and true joy comes when we allow our physical world to flow from our soul’s calling.

Happiness is the settling of the soul into its most appropriate spot ~ Aristotle

Thinking back, my father would question why I helped so many people voluntarily, because he felt it unlikely that they would help me back in return, but I realize now that joy doesn’t come from getting back – it comes from the ‘giving’ and in the planning of how one can go about helping someone else or an animal in distress. Basically, acting purposefully is the secret. When we feel aligned to our purpose, giving is very important, and joy follows giving.

As my father was dying, he was obsessed about leaving his possessions behind and what would become of them. One by one, I have passed on his things, but after seven years still have a few of his things to sort out. Before I dispose of anything that was his, I consult with him in our monthly psychic circle, and his basic response now implies he couldn’t care less about ‘stuff’. He simply says: “Get rid of it!” Such a pity he had to wait to pass over to feel joy, and detached to his once ‘clung to’ possessions.

Chemicals present in individuals who experience joy can be counted and identified, and those chemicals are entirely different from those chemicals created in a body experiencing stress, or any other negative emotion. Joy and a good belly laugh must be one of the best tonics by far. Don’t wait until you have crossed over to the other side before you begin to seek joy. Start today.