<p>In connection with our theme, &ldquo;<strong>I Am Gone but Very Near,</strong>&rdquo; I&rsquo;ve recently learned that in the Aramaic language, the word death means &ldquo;existing elsewhere.&rdquo; For some people, the death of a loved one means they&rsquo;re&nbsp;<strong>gone</strong>&nbsp;from their physical body, but still&nbsp;<strong>very near</strong>&nbsp;in terms of their energy or essence. Countless people have pulled me aside to share a story about how they felt their loved one&rsquo;s presence in a room or smelled the fragrance of their loved one&rsquo;s favorite flower for no apparent reason. When I ask these people if they experienced comfort in these situations, their responses are always, &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo; I encourage them to take the comfort. Our loved ones are&nbsp;<strong>gone but very near</strong>.</p>