In Memorium

Eppie had a dream recently of a group of people who, throughout time and different lifetimes, found each other.

Here’s this gist, in Eppie’s words: A person lives through multiple lives and realizes at some point they have met all of their closest friends before.  They start talking to their friends about this and their friends feel the same.  They realize they are each a different personality type and that somehow they are components, or puzzle pieces to a bigger purpose. They also realize other groups tend to clump together with like minded people and sit in stagnation.  They become very opposed to this outcome.  They all make a pact that they will focus all their attention on remembering this information in their next life and that they will scour the earth and find each other in their youth... the ultimate goal being to find each other and write their story; sharing how with unity they are complete and make a whole entity... powerful enough to do anything.

I was reminded of her tale of this interesting dream yesterday when we went to a memorial service in East Nashville to celebrate the life of our friend, Kaaren, who passed recently. I was thinking about how blessed Eppie and I were to have met her when we moved to this city. Kaaren was truly inspirational, a sparkling encourager whose welcoming spirit blessed not only us. Also, I was thinking about how amazing life is that some of our friends from back home were at Kaaren’s service, as well. As if no matter where we all have lived, we are all connected and will find each other at some point.

One of these friends was a family friend of the Cataldos with whom Eppie grew up and for whom I worked in my early twenties, Russ Faxon. Even though Eppie and I are close to Russ, we didn’t know that he knew Kaaren.  He told us a story of an art piece that Kaaren sent to him and how he’s had it for 20 years in his home, which sits in front of the sculpture studio in which I worked for him. It struck me as immense and beautiful that such a long thread was woven by her and that our threads intersected as if it were meant to be.

As we were leaving the memorial service, I couldn't help but feel that life is very much like Eppie’s dream. We are born to find our tribe and we are drawn inexplicably toward its members. Time and space won’t keep us apart because we have work to do. Because when we meet, we are the whole.

XOXO- Julie

Below is a photo of the note Kaaren left to her family and friends. Such beauty and truth we must hold onto...