Inner Peace: An otherworldly honoring of my mother’s death

Image by Enrique from Pixabay
September 5, 2024

It began with drumming and chanting; then the frogs joined in

By Janai “Grandma Boom” Mestrovich

I knew the day Mom was going to die. The feeling was palpable, even though she was in Florida and I was in Oregon, having just returned from being with her. I went to my special healing and meditation space in the forest, which Mom had visited numerous times, with my medicine wheel.

Janai “Grandma Boom” Mestrovich

Overlooking the stream, I became aware of Mom’s presence shortly after she passed. I could see her standing by me with my mind’s eye. I could hear her voice through inner locution (hearing voice inside my head rather than an external sound). She told me she wished she could hold my hand.

That was something she treasured during her dying process. I spoke out loud and told her that now is the time we will touch each other through the voices in our hearts. We stood in silence where a thin veil allowed us to connect, shedding tears and blessing the experience across two different worlds.

Later that night, I went to a pond where the frogs were prolific and sang to their hearts’ content. It was deep in the forest. The sun had set itself beyond the horizon, and the moon was at half-mast, with stars twinkling across the sky. Sadness and peace blanketed the pond, sky, the air, earth, trees and me.

I had taken my drum to do an honoring for Mom. Normally, any sound made at the pond would hush the frogs’ communal serenading. Mom collected frog memorabilia and also enjoyed drumming. It just made sense to be near the frogs when I drummed and chanted to honor her. The forest embraced it all, feeling like it shared its stage willingly to support this ritual. Everything felt united that evening in honor of Mom. The energy was so uplifting.

You can imagine my surprise and delight when I started drumming and the frogs continued to sing. At first, I held my breath, thinking their singing was so loud they didn’t hear my drumming. It took some time before I realized the frogs were joining in the honoring. I could feel Mom’s spirit breathing in the experience. It was heart touching and otherworldly. It was obvious that there was a deep connecting with nature’s world and my human 3D world, uniting with Mom’s spirit world. Wow!

Even with the sadness, there was a kind of euphoric sensation that kept waving through me. It felt like a true honoring of one who has passed from this world and is continuing the journey on the other side. It was a celebration, uniting, honoring, and releasing. Words don’t capture the experience, only feelings being relayed through this sharing if you can tune in.

During and after the ritual, I could feel something akin to a ‘knowing’ of the truth that energy does not die. The body stops functioning, and the soul energy moves onward in its journey. Mom was present in a way that was undeniable.

We are accustomed to relating to life in our 3D mindset, but there is so much more … and when the veil is thin, it is as if we reach through to the spirit reality and relate in a new way. I am grateful for the awareness, the experience, the frogs being intuitive and participating in the ritual that joined together what felt like the forces of all levels of life, allowing both sides of the veil to lovingly touch each other. Such a blessing!

I was grateful and filled with an inner peace that words cannot capture in the true essence of what occurred.

Janai “Grandma Boom” Mestrovich is executive director of Superkid Power Inc. and author, speaker/trainer, pioneer; she teaches human potential skills beginning at age 3 with creative experiences. www.superkidpower.org or [email protected].

Want to contribute? Send 600- to 700-word articles on all aspects of inner peace to Richard Carey ([email protected]).

Picture of Jim

Jim

Related Posts...

one planet Inner Peace

Inner Peace: Departing thoughts

Richard Carey: Now, with some sadness, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to move on. In my own pursuit of inner peace, I’ve got a few bucket list items to take care of, and I’m not getting any younger.

Read More »

Inner Peace: The wave’s swell

Moshe Ross: The wave’s swell, the trough as well as the crest of the wave, passes from water to water; we each feel each. Thus a suggestion can drag us down or lift us up, although the upliftment really lies within our own divine self, ready to break through.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Literary Arts Oregon Book Awards Portland Center Stage at the Armory Portland Oregon
Ashland Community Composting Ashland Oregon
Rogue Valley Symphony Visit the Grand Canyon Medford Grants Pass Oregon

Latest posts

Crossword: Rogue Climate #02

This week’s crossword: more rogue “climate.” Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next Friday’s crossword: “Eureka Moment #04.” More crosswords under the Culture menu.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

Southern Oregon Summer Camps and Activities Directory Ashland Medford Oregon
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum Summer Camp Ashland Oregon
Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon
City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon

Explore More...

This week's crossword: more rogue "climate." Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next Friday's crossword: "Eureka Moment #04." More crosswords under the Culture menu.
Herbert Rothschild: Now that deep cuts in spending are planned for education, health, nutrition, housing, community development, environmental protection, energy assistance and so much else, it’s clear that our federal government itself is assaulting the people whom all its military spending is ostensibly meant to protect from assault.
A looming fiscal cliff could force Rogue Valley Transportation District to cut routes and endure an almost 50% drop in ridership in 2026. The local bus service, which serves most cities in Jackson County, has already instituted a strict fare enforcement policy, which wasn’t in place during the pandemic because it helped assist the homeless and unemployed.
An “IndyCon independent media celebration” is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 19, in the Rogue River Room in Stevenson Union at Southern Oregon University. It’s part of Ashland's 20th annual Independent Media Week organized by Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice showcasing local independent media sources.
The Ashland Chamber's Spring Ashland Sidewalk Celebration returns this year from May 16-18. Community creatives and partners are invited to showcase their music, dance, crafts, and nonprofit or business information during the event which will span from the Ashland Public Library down to Lovejoy’s Tea Room.
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.