I have often encountered people who question the purpose of life, especially following a sad loss in their lives. As a spiritual person I too have questioned our purpose and the existence of God and why bad things happen. And as everyone must, I have come to many of my own conclusions based on my personal experiences, and sometimes the experiences of others.

The answer for me is about gathering. From the beginning of our lives, we are filling a metaphorical basket with all the good and bad things we encounter in life; things that we carry with us, or discard along the way. As our experiences make us wiser, we begin to discard more and more of the negative things in our basket and focus on gathering those that are good and nurturing. In the end, the things which we have chosen to gather and keep with us become a reflection of who we are, who we have become as a spiritual beings.

At the end of our days, I believe, we will take with us that which we have gathered as we continue the evolution of our souls, much like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

Gathering the things that nurture our spirits is what we can all strive for every day of our journey on this earth. The real question is, can you be happy with what you have gathered when this life is over and you rejoin your loved ones? As spiritual beings, these soulful reflections can show us who we will be when we leave this life behind for the next.

John Pete, GC-C, is a Certified Grief Counselor and Founder of www.griefstreets.com.