Emma

When I walked into Emma’s room, her husband, Eli, was sitting at her bedside. I did not know beforehand that Emma was already actively dying, and had not eaten or communicated for several days. 

I introduced myself. Emma lifted her head toward me and tried to speak. This was most unusual and Eli was taken back, surprised that his wife had moved or spoken. He said to me, "Do you two know each other?" 

“I don’t believe so,” I responded.

Eli and I struck up a conversation. He told me that they were both in their 90’s and Holocaust survivors—and very devoted to each other. Soon, family and friends arrived and Eli moved to the living room to be with the guests. 

I sat alone with Emma and held her hand. She felt very dear and familiar to me. Could it be that Emma recognized my voice because we did know each other in another lifetime? 

That evening, I had a dream. I saw myself as a young girl—about 7 or 8 years old—living in one of the Holocaust camps. In my dream, I sensed that I wasn’t there long, and that I died young. I could sense the spirit of Emma in my dream as being a part of my close-knit family.

Throughout my life, I have observed many people actively dying. I see them talking to souls we cannot see, reaching for those who have come to greet them. There is no doubt in my heart that this is simply the end of one journey and the start of another. It’s as if a veil lifts and they see and hear things that we in this dimension are not aware of. 

Emma passed several days later on Holocaust Remembrance Day.