Sunday 8 February 2009

Death is in the air

The other day, I took my daughter to a local shop. She had asked to go to this shop partly, I believe, because of the lovely welcoming atmosphere created by the owner, Sheena. To buy new underwear from Sheena (it's lingerie shop), means to be cossetted in care. This is a local lady who knows her customers. It is very comforting.

However, even as I opened the door and heard the tinkling of the bell, I knew something had happened. Death was in the air. It was as if a big vacuum cleaner had come along and sucked up all the life-force in an instant.

Sheena was with someone behind a rack. I knew they had stopped talking as soon as we came in and I knew that Sheena was making an almighty effort to appear and serve us. Had I been on my own I would have excused myself and left. But because I was with my autistic daughter, and because I have a habit of putting her needs first, we persevered. As my daughter was in the changing room, I asked Sheena if she was alright. She told me a friend's young child had just died. My intuition had been correct.

As we left, I mentally tapped on the whole shop, the circle of friends who were whispering together, and on the sense of loss. Gary Craig (EFT) says, "Try it on everything", and I did. I don't know if it helped them, but it helped me. Even at a distance, and without knowing anything more than the bare facts, I felt my tapping was contributing, the way that prayer does.

And in the end, isn't connection what we all long for?