“Make of it what you will.”

An oft used statement by one of the protagonists in a marvelous book titled “Peace Like a River,” which was passed on to me by Jerrie, with whom I share a love and appreciation for good writing.

Well, now. There are a lot of things we encounter, are told about, observe, in our personal journeys, that seem to fall into the “Make of it what you will” category.

For sure. A believe-it-or-don’t-believe-it proposition.

Much there is in any set of religious dogma that certainly fits that statement. Any religion, not just one faith tradition. It’s an up-to-you thing.

And so it is for my Sally, with respect to our dear friend Jane, who passed away not very long ago. Invited by Jane’s son and daughter-in-law to come and scatter some of her ashes in the river, we felt privileged to do so.

Also, a gardenia bloom we have, from a cutting in Jane’s yard, began to grow from the day her ashes were scattered in the river. Now it has rooted and there are two buds on it. Sally says, “I have to think it’s for her beloved twin grandsons, Jonathan and Robin.”

And that’s a “Make of it what you will” perspective, for sure.

So too was an experience our daughter Mary Bart had some years ago when she lived in Los Angeles.

A young man, originally from England, who became a very close friend, was involved in an accident at an intersection caused by a “brownout” of the electrical service.

Tristan lingered in intensive care for a few days in a hospital, and his many friends kept up a vigil for him.

Then he died.

This greatly affected our daughter — as well as many of his other friends — but Mary Bart especially.

And then one night she said she sensed a presence at the foot of her bed. There was even an indentation there. A sense of peace came over her, she said, a sense that Tristan was alright.

A “Make of it what you will” experience.

Most of us, I suspect, have had such moments, or at the very least have sensed something that just didn’t lend itself to a conventional explanation. An ephemera, if you will, that touches us, affects us, in a powerful way.

And should we share such very personal experiences with others, it seems logical to say, “Make of it what you will.”