My cousin, Jesse Gillette, died in June of 2006. We’d been good friends at times, especially as youngsters. I went through some bleak times in my life after Jesse’s death and for a period was gripped by a terrible fear of death. At that time in my life I seemed to be hopelessly stuck on a path I didn’t want to be on.
Two years to the day after Jesse’s memorial, I had a dream that changed my life. In the dream, I seemed to be at a funeral or a wake near a train station. As I looked around, a doorway appeared where a wall had been. I walked through the doorway, past a man who might have been Mike preparing a message, and through to the other side. Outside, I found a tall stone tower surrounded by a magnificent field full of beautiful green grass, colorful flowers and tall trees everywhere. The tower appeared to reach directly into the heavens.
Inside the tower there were beautiful paintings with religious themes. Many of them were of Jesus, and all the paintings were circular. As I went into a room connected to the tower, I saw my cousin, and he seemed to be waiting for me. He was the most perfect Jesse I could have ever hoped to find. He was physically and spiritually healed – that was clear. He’d been confined to a wheelchair for over a decade before his death, but now he stood tall, strong and handsome. He seemed as happy as I’d ever seen him.
I started to sob uncontrollably because I was so relieved and happy to see Jesse. More than that, I felt a powerful sense of meaning and complete contentment with everything. I was overcome with the feeling that Jesse was truly okay and that everyone would eventually be healed and happy, as he was. It was the most peaceful, comforting feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life.
Jesse and I talked for a long while. I was never able to recall the details of our discussion but it involved the tower and what its purpose was. While dreaming, I thought for a while that I, too, had died. I couldn’t imagine another reason for being in this place and feeling so free of all my burdens – so content and happy. I was entirely at peace with the thought that I might have died. I accepted it with no fear. I knew during the dream that no matter what awful experiences we have in life, eventually we’ll be reunited with our loved ones in a beautiful, joyful place.
This dream was one of several with Jesse that made me feel he was sent to help me find my way towards a much better path.
-T.M.R