Why believe in an afterlife?

I want to explore a little bit about what people believe happens when we die and how those beliefs can offer comfort when they are alive. I’m going to share an example close to my heart with you and tell you about my grandmother. 

My grandmother was always totally convinced that there was definitely something after we die. I’ll tell you more about where this conviction came from shortly. But let me first tell you that she was such a strong, independent woman who I admired so much while she was alive, and to this day, I think about her often. She was not afraid of anything and lived well into her eighties.   

I have to confess that I’m not 100% sure of what I believe in relation to heaven, the hereafter, life after death: whatever you want to call it. However, I do consider myself to be religious. I have faith in God, and I believe that only one God exists. I imagine that I’ll find out if it’s true or not further down the line. 

I used to visit my grandmother regularly. I would make sure that I’d go at least once a week because she lived alone in a flat. My granddad had passed away from cancer about ten years before this particular day. I used to love visiting her because she had so many riveting stories about her life – and she had a wicked sense of humor! I would take her some shopping and spend a few hours with her, chatting about anything and everything. 

During one visit, she started telling me about some health issues she was suffering from. Initially, I thought it was pretty normal as most people of her age would have some type of health problems. But then she told me that she was positive that she was going to die soon. She explained that her health was getting worse and that she knew that her time was approaching. Unfortunately, it turned out that she was right. 

At the time, however, I attempted to make light of it and cheer her up. I said that she must be mistaken. As far as I could see, she looked to be in excellent health for her age, and she was still so mentally sharp – I said I thought she’d live until she was at least 100! I tried to encourage her to think more positively about things and not say such negative things. My grandmother recognized that I was worried about her, so she told me not to concern myself over the situation as she was sure she was going to a more suitable, superior place. 

This worried me even more! I asked her what she meant, and she said that she was totally certain that there was an afterlife and confessed that she couldn’t wait to get there. My grandmother explained that she had become tired and weary of her life. Due to her ill health, she felt tired all the time and was limited in what she could now do. She felt like a shadow of her former self and didn’t want to carry on much longer or become too ill that she couldn’t live independently anymore. My grandmother said that she had no fear of dying because she knew there was more to life than living here on earth. 

I asked her how she was so sure that there was an afterlife, and she said something that sent chills down my spine. My grandmother told me that my granddad (who had died ten years ago) came to see her every week and had explained it all to her. She was adamant that it was true, even though I found it really hard to believe her initially. She said that she didn’t want me to be too distraught when she died, or at least not for long. She asked that I try to be glad that she had moved on to the afterlife, and she reassured me that we would be together again in the future. 

My grandmother passed away about four months after that day, and I will never forget that conversation we had. I truly hope that she has been reunited with my granddad as she believed she would be and that she’s also back with other loved ones such as her parents. 

I could clearly see that her firm belief in the afterlife really helped my grandmother in her last few months of life. She was not afraid of dying, and she approached the end with a positive, optimistic view that she was going to a better place. 

I admit that this experience converted me so that I, too, believe that there is something beyond this world. But I am not going to wish my life away. I’ve no rush to discover if it is true just yet. I have a lot more amazing things to experience on this earth, articles to write, and sunrises to witness before I reunite with my beloved grandmother and granddad.