I was in the hospital and the nurses anddoctors were checking what meds I could- or could not have because of a medicalert bracelet.
suddenly I was standing over my body andwatching what was going on. Someonecalled for the crash cart. Everyone wasracing around.
Ithought, well, I must be dead, so what am I supposed to do? Then I looked to the right. I floated in the direction of a tunnel andlight. Grandmother was there. Then, grandfather and my dad, all long dead.
Grandmother told me not to go there. The time was not yet. Then I saw a man in flowing white robes witha book.
the book was opened and on it was writingin gold. The book was white.
He turned the pages and there were blankplaces on some of the pages. He told methat this
was to show me that there were times whenthings were blanked out and remembered no more because I had done things toovercome wrong doing.
Then a man spoke to me from behind. He asked me three times why I wanted to die.
Mythree youngest children were aged eleven, thirteen and fourteen. So my first response was, my children.
He replied that it was not a good enoughreason. Then he showed me what wouldhappen to the children if I did not go back.
Hesaid that I had provided wisely for my children in case something should everhappen to me. they would be adopted andraised by a family from the Blood Indian reserve. They would adjust, be well educated and dovery well.
Then he said, "Now, why do you want tolive?" I replied, my vow.
It was like the gentle voice that waspenetrating my being through mental telepathy had suddenly turned tothunder.
He replied, "Finally you haveremembered your vow. You have
been so busy getting an education, gettinga good job and getting ahead in the world, you have put your vow last.
Ifyou are allowed to return you must put your vow first above all else. Do this and all that you need and even desirewill be added to you. Just onething. You will be left with a reminderto put your vow first for the remainder of your life. A reminder to go slow and not run."
Then I floated over to my body and enteredit through the head and shoulders.
The vow was made ten years previous when Iwas given 3 to 6 months to live.
I promised that if I could live to raise mychildren, I would serve my people for the rest of my life.
Since that experience I have put the vowfirst and my life has been richer for it.

当时我在医院，护士和医生们正在检查我能吃什么药，或者不能吃什么药。
突然，我站在我的身体旁边，看着发生了什么。有人叫来了急救车。每个人都在赛跑。
我想，我一定是死了，那我该怎么办?然后我向右看。我朝着隧道和灯光的方向漂去。祖母在那里。然后，爷爷和爸爸，都死了很久。
奶奶叫我不要去那里。时间还没有到。然后我看见一个人穿着飘逸的白袍，手里拿着一本书。
书打开了，上面用金字写着。这本书是白色的。
他翻了一页，发现有些地方是空的。他是要告诉我，有些时候，有些事情被遗忘了，记不起来了，因为我做了一些事情来克服错误的做法。
然后一个男人从后面跟我说话。他问了我三次我为什么想死。
我最小的三个孩子分别是11岁、13岁和14岁。所以我的第一反应是，我的孩子们。
他回答说这不是一个足够好的理由。然后他告诉我，如果我不回去，孩子们会怎么样。
他说我为我的孩子们做了明智的安排，以防万一我出了什么事。他们将被印第安人保留地的一个家庭收养和抚养。他们会适应，受过良好的教育，做得很好。
然后他说:“现在，你为什么想活下去?”我回答说，我的誓言。
那温柔的声音穿透了我的心灵感应，突然变成了雷声。
他回答说:“你终于记起你的誓言了。你忙着接受教育、找份好工作、在世界上取得成功，你把誓言放在了最后。
如果你被允许返回，你必须把你的誓言放在首位。这样，你所需要的，甚至是你所渴望的，都会加给你。只是一件事。你会得到一个提醒，在你的余生里，把你的誓言放在首位。提醒你慢点走，不要跑。”
然后我浮到我的身体边，通过头和肩膀进入它。
这个誓言是十年前许下的，当时我只有三到六个月的生命。
我承诺，如果我能活着抚养我的孩子，我将在我的余生为我的人民服务。
从那以后，我把誓言放在第一位，我的生活因此变得更加丰富。