Review Of “We’ll Meet Again” Written by Colm Keane by debut reviewer Thomas Kiely.
This is the first book I have read in over five years and, to be truthful, to commence with something I would not normally read was challenging, but also, I have to say, very interesting. My views on spirituality and visions during or after death would not have been something I would believe in or even considered too deeply until having read this book.
When I started off reading the first few pages I wasn’t getting into the book and as I mentioned previously, I was very sceptical about these topics. My late wife, Angela, was a spiritual person and would always look for signs, particularly during her illness with cancer to help her get through some of the very bad days. She would often go to see someone who would talk about archangels, which I just didn’t pay too much attention to her doing, once she was happy. However, once I started to read more and more of the book, I looked at this in a very different way.
The one thing you will notice from reading this book and with people telling their stories about their experience with visions of a loved one dying or themselves, is that it gives them great peace and they become less fearful of death, or of a loved one dying, because they have seen with their vision how happy one can be.
There are so many different stories in this book from so many different people all over Ireland and, once I relaxed and started to enjoy the stories, one starts to think to oneself about certain things that maybe one could have dreamt that are helpful subconscious or unconscious ways of reflection.
Some of the stories about visions are a lot more believable than others and you really get the sense of the person telling the stories that are credible. Not only might such occurances have taken place, but it is clear they gave great relief. I also feel that simply telling us their stories is very important,regardless of what subject matter is presented. Some stories weren’t so believable to me, and I realise this is entirely subjective. I got a feeling that some contributors were trying to nearly put too much information into their stories, however if they got some relief out of the storytelling process, then I certainly will not judge them.
In this book there is a lot of mention of the person dying in bed opening their eyes and staring at the end of the bed smiling or even reaching out or talking as If they can see something or someone. I’ve often heard about this and I’m pretty sure I was told that before my grandfather died, he opened his eyes brightly and then he passed away and it was like he had someone waiting for him, but I wouldn’t have taken any notice of this until having read the stories from people who have witnessed this with a loved one.
The biggest thing I noticed when reading this book was the peace that a loved one got from having these visions and giving them hope that the loved one won’t be alone during or after their death. I think that is key in the book – knowing the loved one is okay and the visions of a family member are powerful in and for themselves.
The religious visions in this book were the subjects I least liked as I find it hard to know how people see holy people i.e. Jesus etc, when I and many others don’t fully know what he actually looks like! I’m not sure these about these particular visions but, again, each to their own on this one.
The last few pages of this book goes into Scientific evidence of all these visions and scientists not believing these happen. I find this part probably the most interesting and makes one believe that the visions people have and continue to have are real. They try and blame all different types of reasons for people to have these so-called visions but when actually tested they can ‘t be proven or disproven. Perhaps this is the interplay of science and faith.
I enjoyed this book and it will make me reflect about certain things I have dreamt over the last few months in relation to the death of my own beloved wife, Angela.
*Thomas Kiely has commenced writing his debut book on the theme of cancer. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2021.
