A Helpful Friend

My friend Avahgdu died yesterday. He was only a few months older than my Firstborn. He had been sick a long time with diabetes and its nasty side-effects. I only knew him online. I came across this impassioned utterance, fell in love with it and responded to it. We became instant friends and found we had things in common: beliefs, values, interests. He was a poet, fiction writer, Reiki channel and witch, and also had within him great ability in spiritual healing. I learned of a tragic background which I won't go into here. He lived in America; we never met in person.

Some months ago, when I was ill and distressed, he sent me help in the form of spiritual healing. I felt it tangibly, though lightly — a very distinct, peaceful energy, all-pervading in the gentlest way.

He was hospitalised for some time before his death. He was unable to continue his social networking, and his friends relied on family members to keep us informed via his Facebook page. Then we heard nothing for some little time. Two nights before he died, I was thinking of him so insistently that I sent a message to a mutual friend to ask if he had any news. No.

I sent off some Reiki his way, but didn't spend time on in-depth tuning in. Then, yesterday, came the announcement of his passing that morning. His Facebook page is now full of sorrowful messages. He was much loved. Many, of course, did know him in person, but even those who didn't, like me, mentioned how profoundly he had touched their lives.

One friend across the world said she had heard the beep of a Facebook message coming in, the night before he died (not knowing then that he had died) but there was no message to account for it. She asked to be told if anyone else had any kind of sign or communication from him. I told her I had exactly the same experience as her, also on the night before he died — the recognisable beep, but no message to be seen on Facebook. Like her, I only connected it with him after I learned of his death.

The other thing that happened for me seemed a bit personal to share on his fb page, where many people I don't know could read it. I'd rather describe it here.

I've been mourning my late husband for five and a half months. I'm doing OK, but it's painful. Last night, preparing a ritual to mark Avahgdu's passing (my personal send-off) I became aware of the same healing energy I had received from him in the past. I feared he might become stuck here, so tried not to accept it, but it had already done its work.

This morning I was packing up some things of my husband's to send to my stepchildren. I waited for the usual, physical heart-ache on seeing his stuff. Guess what? It didn't come. I was flabbergasted. Later there were other triggers which did cause pain, but it was much milder and softer, all of a sudden, than it had been until now. The quality — the intensity — of my grief has changed, eased. I like the feeling.

I can only say, Thank you, Avahgdu.