Sometimes the most compassionate act you can take towards another is to give them permission to die. Yes, even if you don’t want to lose them. Even if you don’t want them to die. Even if you think you can’t live without them, sometimes you have to let them cross over. And sometimes they need to know it’s okay for them to leave. In fact, sometimes they’re waiting for your permission to go.
Do you have a friend or relative who seems to be hanging on to life even though they are suffering terribly or are in such a state of decline that their quality of life is practically zero? What can you do to help them? Pour over medical books and try to find a cure for what ails them? Push them to persevere despite their pain and suffering? Maybe. Or maybe you need to have a conversation with them and let them know that it’s okay to go. Sometimes that’s all people are waiting for, the green light, the go-ahead, the thumbs up. Can you give them that gift?
On a soul level, people choose their time to die. On some level, we know when we’re done. But sometimes people hang on long after they’ve chosen to cross over. Why would they do that? One reason is fear. Many people simply fear death. Some people fear God’s judgment, while others who don’t believe in an afterlife cling to their life because they don’t want to disappear forever.
Another reason people hang on is because of family. Sometimes people don’t want to leave their loved ones because they believe their family will be lost without them (financially, emotionally, etc.). But when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. You can delay it for days, months, or even years, but usually you’re suffering needlessly. Get your affairs in order and pack your bags. You’re going to the other side at some point. Go when you’re ready, but don’t overstay your time here.
If you are the relative or friend of someone who is hanging on beyond their time, you can help them make their transition by giving them permission or encouragement to cross over. Let them know you’ll be okay without them. Let them know they don’t need to stay. If they’re afraid, help them understand that they will be met on the other side by loved ones and the most intense love and joy they could ever imagine. Prepare them for their journey.
Years ago I helped my grandmother make the decision to cross over. She resisted it for years. She suffered through cancer and a heart attack, and was living in a retirement home. Her husband was already dead. At night, he and I would have conversations with her soul and let her know it was okay to cross over and that her time in this incarnation had come to an end. She was afraid to let go. She was afraid to die. We encouraged her many times, but she just wasn’t ready. Finally one night she gave us a different answer. She had made her decision and told us she was ready to go. Three days later we got word that my grandmother died, in her sleep, no discernible cause. She just slipped away. She joined my grandfather on the other side, whole and complete, no longer afraid or suffering.
One of the kindest things you can do for another human being is to give them permission to die when it’s their time to go and they are suffering. There is no need to rail against the dying of the light, because what is on the other side is like going home. It’s beautiful, loving, and whole. Don’t anchor people’s energy here by keeping them on life support for months or years. You’re keeping them from peace. It’s hard to let go, yes. But remember that they’re not really going anywhere. They’re just sloughing off their physical shell. They are intact and whole on the other side. You can still communicate with them, still love them, and one day you’ll see them again.
Honor those you love by releasing the emotional tether that holds them to Earth. Honor those you love by giving them permission to let go and cross over. Let them know they have nothing to fear and that you’ll be just fine without them. You will. In time.
