When Heaven Comes to Us

In the last nine days of her brother, Joseph’s life, Marijo and her mother experience a preview of the heaven that awaited their loved one.

Marijo writes:
I was very blessed to experience a beautiful shared-death experience with my younger brother in July of 2021.

Just 8 days prior, he made the decision to pass peacefully in a hospice facility. His body had completely been wrecked by his progressive auto-immune disease and a pathogen found in his lungs after a bout of Covid. His physical body was in failure and he was working with a body that could no longer fight.

For nine days, my mother, Toni, and I sat with him. My mother’s worst fear was he would die alone. My fear was she would be alone to watch him pass. As other family came in and out, we left the room for brief periods to eat, rest, shower, and pray.

First Occurrence
As luck would have it, it was a beautiful hospice facility and there was a walking path lined with trees and benches. The benches outside his room became like an old friend. As I was relaxing and reflecting on how my little brother went from very verbal to completely non- responsive, I heard the most beautiful soothing music my human ears had ever heard. I struggle to find the vocabulary to explain the angelic sounds I heard outside Joseph’s room.

The music started off faint but rose up as if it was choir in a marching band, it got louder and louder. It was obvious that the beautiful choral of voices and soft instruments was coming closer and closer. This was the first of three experiences I believe to be shared-death experiences.

The Second Occurrence
The second occurrence happened that same night when my mother and I were both sitting bedside. For two days we watched Joseph experience what the hospice team defined as “the death stare”. However, his most dedicated and very lovey nurse explained, “he is just looking at the angels.” What happened next solidified this point for me.

As we sat quietly, an extremely bright, warm, and pure light projected across his room. My mother and I were speechless. When we were able to converse, we both confirmed the pure light. Once again, human language would not be sufficient to describe the beauty and love that filled his room.

Dragonflies

Dragonfly

The Third Occurrence
On day 9, my last shared-death experience occurred. It was the night when my little brother left this Earth. After his death, I went back to the bench outside. I was needing to be alone for a moment. I sat in peace knowing he was experiencing true beauty. Suddenly I was surrounded by dragonflies. They were everywhere in the dark night.

 

If the other two signs did not confirm his soul was at peace, this last shared experience was unmistakable. The beauty I witnessed through the sounds of the music, the peacefulness of the bright light, and the glory of the dragonflies, constantly fill my heart. I have zero doubts about the magnificence of an afterlife now.

The Power of an Afterlife Perspective
I won’t say my grief was lighten but I will say my perspective was drastically changed. Death is not something I fear after sharing in the beauty of these moments. I can only dream of the experiences now and know they were not of this world. They were supernatural statements of a world much more splendid and amazing than this one.

Commentary- When we are young, we live our whole lives thinking that death is clear out there, far away from us. As we grow, being “old” becomes somewhat relative.

But as we come closer to the end of our lives, whether faced with an illness or old age, many don’t know what to expect as we near the mysterious door that we are told, opens before us.

When one is about to pass, it’s not uncommon for that one who is being gently lifted from this Earthly vibration to begin to experience these heavenly things of which Marijo speaks.

For us on the outside, it can look like something other than it actually is. One might observe their loved one staring off into space, trying to make out something with their eyes as their new home slowly begins to materialize. Sometimes, there is some talking to unseen beings or even exhibiting a careful listening to something from beyond.

What is so different about this case is that Marijo and her mother had the amazing gift of being privy to Joseph’s transition. Although at first, even one of these miraculous experiences would be enough. However, added together they gave Marijo a full understanding of what was occurring, specifically that Joseph, her younger brother, would be in great hands as he left his weary body to cross over.

Marijo and her mother experienced some pieces of Heaven. You know when it happens because you can’t explain it or describe it. As Marijo recalls, they were speechless and even with speech, there were no words to adequately describe their experience.

In the garden, Marijo heard the beautiful music appear to grow louder. This was to gently prepare her for what was soon to come. The light spread across the room was to comfort those therein. Lastly, the dragonflies (a spiritual symbol of an angel) were sent to say, “I made it into the beautiful light and now I’m free to fly.!” Btw, because of predators it is unusual to see dragonflies flying around in the dark unless they absolutely have to. Dragonflies are known to hide from predators at night and fly by day.

For Marijo and her mother, through these shared-death experiences, they don’t have to wonder if Joseph is okay and has made it to his destination in the light. They know he has.

Moving forward
Of course, knowing this, we are happy for our loved ones. Even so, we do still miss them in our physical world. It takes something to walk the path of the grief process. It is winding with ups and downs. We will feel a plethora of emotions as we go forth.

Photo credit: Jill Wellington of Pixabay

Photo credit: Jill Wellington of Pixabay

But as we go forth grieving our loss, please remember that every step forward in this process, is one step closer to reuniting with them again. And, when we do meet again, imagine what joy there will be.

For more shared-death experiences, read here.

Communication with our Departed

When Carol wonders if the conversations she is having in her head with her departed son, Kyle, are real… she puts it to the test.

Carol writes:
My son, Kyle, passed in May of 2020 at the age of 40 from an accidental overdose. I began having “conversations” in my mind with him a few months later. I was skeptical though, and wondered if it weren’t just my wishful thinking.

So one night I said to him: “Kyle, if it’s really you, send me a different sign right now – that will make me laugh and will be unmistakably you!” No more than a second later, my phone dinged – it was a text from the next door neighbor.

Now, first of all, I never get texts from her – let alone at 10PM! Second, she had been a very nasty neighbor. Kyle, his dad, and I used to joke about misfortune befalling her, e.g. “I hope her tree blows down”, I hope her roof leaks” etc. We would never actually do anything but we did joke about it a lot.

So here’s her text: “I just wanted to let you know someone let their dog poop on the sidewalk in front of your house and I just stepped in it and ruined my brand new running shoes!”

I just shook my head, looked up to the ceiling and said “Bingo, Kyle! You crushed it baby!” Just another example of spirits using other people to get a message to you!

Commentary- When our loved one passes away, it doesn’t mean our relationship with them goes away too. On the contrary, although things are much different now and there are a lot of adjustments that need to be made, our relationship still exists and continues.

When telling one of my college teachers about not being able to talk with my mom because she died when I was 13, he said, “She can hear you better than ever now.” I’ve often thought about that throughout the years. Although it made a certain amount of sense, could it be true?

It wasn’t until after Christian passed that I realized this was so. After many times of asking him for help and what not… and him responding accordingly, I had no doubt left how well our departed loved ones can hear us. Over the years of running GriefandMourning.com, I’ve heard it several times from others as well.

The Filters of Communication

communication

Communication is a two way street Photo Credit: Alexas_Fotos

Normally, when you think about communication in the physical world, you think about at least two people taking turns speaking and listening. Of course, one would hope that they are speaking to each other, instead of at each other. Unfortunately, many times, it is our own filters we speak and listen through. Knowing that our own interpretation of what is actually being said is a huge part of that filter, it’s a wonder we have any successful communication to speak of.

The Capacity to Hear

There is another thing to consider. It is the capacity to actually hear what is being said. This might look like-

  • Looking like we are hearing but blocking something we perceive to be psychologically or emotionally threatening. 
  •  Perhaps our physical hearing is not so good anymore. Many people with hearing loss pretend to understand what has been said to avoid having to repeatedly ask.
  • Or maybe it’s a language barrier of some sort.

As you can see, there are many ways to not hear effectively.

Hearing in a Different Way

Now, let’s talk about Kyle and his mom, Carol. First of all, let me clarify what it means for our departed loved ones to “hear” us. When we think of hearing, we think about a variety of sounds that can be heard and even organized into a pattern so the human brain/ear can make sense of them. But my point is… you need to have human brain/ears to hear that, right?

While Kyle doesn’t hear the same as he used to, he hears much better than before. And now, in a way, so does Carol. Wondering if she was just imagining her conversations with Kyle, she put it to the test. She quickly found out just how well both could hear when Kyle delivered with a hilarious example for his mom to know for sure. She found out that Kyle was close enough to still in communication with her.

If there is any confusion at this point, I will add that there are more ways than one to hear. We are used to the ideal of hearing out of our ears because that is what we use mostly to hear sound. Even in the physical realm we often don’t think about hearing with our other physical senses such as our sight, touch, taste and smell… but we do. 

But even more, being a spiritual being in a human body, we can also tap into our spiritual senses. That’s what Kyle and Carol did. Our spiritual senses are far superior to that of our physical ones. Being on this plane though and trying to survive it, we have learned to focus more on physical senses to navigate our day to day physical existence.

Thought Perception

Have you even noticed when people meet up with their departed loved one, whether in a dream state or not? They always notice that the communication they have with that loved one is telepathic. In other words, their mouth didn’t move throughout the whole communication. Some people don’t notice it until it’s pointed out because on a spiritual level we already know that as spirits we communicate like this. To the spiritual part of ourselves that we don’t normally tune into, it is natural. We even use it to silently pray.

Thought perception is a pure form of communication. It is superior to what we have on this earthly plane. It cuts through all the misunderstandings of not knowing what to say or how to say it, of not being able to hear or not wanting to hear it. It breaks through the many types of language barriers that divide us as well as our many interpretations as what is being said moves through our filters. There is so much between us all the time. With pure spiritual perception, there are no more filters, no non-sense, just clear, direct, simple and honest communication.

When communication doesn’t happen…

Of course, there are those times where we ask, even beg for communication with our loved one and it seems to go unheard, even unanswered. I’ve had this experience too. I don’t always understand why this is. When this happens it can make us feel sad and insecure. We may be left wondering, “Why doesn’t it happen for me like that?” It makes no sense and can leave us doubting.

Hang in there though, your relationship did not just end when they left the physical dimension. It continues on. But like I said, and what was demonstrated in this post, it helps to expand beyond the physical senses in whatever way you can. It helps to have a positive attitude and be confident that it will happen eventually.

Honestly, there is no time limit for them to communicate. Sometimes, they communicate in different ways. They communicate through songs, other people, dreams, signs, symbols, just to name a few. It takes listening differently to catch those communications.

Addressing a Misconception

There are those in the after-death communication community who believe our departed loved ones are only with us for a short while after their passing. Then, they leave us by going off somewhere over there. How cruel this belief is. When we need them the most they leave? When we are at the peak of our pain, they are gone? Really? I have found this to be simply untrue.

Where are they going? Where is more important to be than with us, assisting us from beyond? Where is “over there” when it’s really just one big thing and one big ball of consciousness? 

It has been reported that a departed loved one can communicate immediately after passing or decades later. The frequency of these communications can be a lot or a little. What I’ve found is that many times we miss communications because either, they aren’t so obvious to us or we are listening for something else to occur. Again. It’s really about the listening. Our listening and how well we listen for them to communicate.

Our loved ones deeply care about us, they hear our thoughts and feel our pain. The want nothing more than for us to heal. Our departed loved ones are with us in ways we can’t explain, don’t understand and could never comprehend at this point. They are aware of us our whole lives until we are reunited. What else would love do? I hope that clears that up.

So next time you think you may be having a conversation in your head with your departed loved one, don’t immediately doubt it and brush it away. Put it to the test as Carol did when she just had to know. When she did… with the old familiarity of Kyle’s sense of humor, she got her answer! It is completely possible that you could get an answer too.

For more after-death communications- https://griefandmourning.com/afterdeath-communication

Death From a Scientific Perspective

An interesting scientific article, about the death of a loved one, offers a surprisingly encouraging and comforting perspective about afterlife existence.

Several years ago while grieving the loss of her husband, Jason, Lynda stumbled upon this NPR interview. She found it extremely comforting in a very fundamental way. Recently, Lynda shared this article with me. I found it so clear and amazing that I wanted to share it forward to those it might help to show that, in some ways, science and faith can interface in the best of ways. Hopefully, this interview will somehow assist in the comfort and healing of your loss.

Source:  NPR All Things Considered- 2015.
Host, Michele Norris and Guest, Commentator- Aaron Freeman, have the following conversation.

MICHELE NORRIS, host: Introduction of her guest:
“Commentator Aaron Freeman isn’t a person who does much planning ahead. However, if you like to look ahead to the future, he has some advice for you, advice on planning your funeral.”
AARON FREEMAN, guest:
“You want a physicist to speak at your funeral. You want the physicist to talk to your grieving family about the conservation of energy, so they will understand that your energy has not died. You want the physicist to remind your sobbing mother about the first law of thermodynamics; that no energy gets created in the universe, and none is destroyed. You want your mother to know that all your energy, every vibration, every Btu of heat, every wave of every particle that was her beloved child remains with her in this world. You want the physicist to tell your weeping father that amid energies of the cosmos, you gave as good as you got.”

“And at one point you’d hope that the physicist would step down from the pulpit and walk to your brokenhearted spouse there in the pew and tell him that all the photons that ever bounced off your face, all the particles whose paths were interrupted by your smile, by the touch of your hair, hundreds of trillions of particles, have raced off like children, their ways forever changed by you. And as your widow rocks in the arms of a loving family, may the physicist let her know that all the photons that bounced from you were gathered in the particle detectors that are her eyes, that those photons created within her constellations of electromagnetically charged neurons whose energy will go on forever.”

“And the physicist will remind the congregation of how much of all our energy is given off as heat. There may be a few fanning themselves with their programs as he says it. And he will tell them that the warmth that flowed through you in life is still here, still part of all that we are, even as we who mourn continue the heat of our own lives.”

“And you’ll want the physicist to explain to those who loved you that they need not have faith; indeed, they should not have faith. Let them know that they can measure, that scientists have measured precisely the conservation of energy and found it accurate, verifiable and consistent across space and time. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they’ll be comforted to know your energy’s still around. According to the law of the conservation of energy, not a bit of you is gone; you’re just less orderly. Amen.”

Commentary- When I think of science in general, I think of sterile environments, serious people in white lab coats and protective gloves and eyewear. When I think of physics, I think of mathematical formulas and the mechanics of matter and energy and remember that I was never great at math. Having lumped my sciences together, I imagined laboratory/clinical testing that is rather cold and impersonal. The process of hypothesis, evidence gathering, testing, measuring and observing, in an effort of proving a scientific theory, seemed stark and unfriendly to me. 

So for me, having personally experienced before, how very deep and devastating the grief of losing a loved one goes, I found this article’s perspective to be interesting and unusually reassuring in every way possible. I also found myself realizing that, on some level, my version of hard cold science and warm and fuzzy faith could possibly be describing some of the same things, just from different perspectives. Or… at the very least, they, in each of their viewpoints, form a simple foundation for science and faith to share in exploring existential questions of life, death and afterlife. The subject of matter and energy? Definitely more interesting to me now.

When confronted with a death of a loved one. By far, the deepest concern, even among people of faith, is whether their departed loved one still exist after their death. I mean, it’s natural that this question would begin to creep in. It’s a different world now. To go from being accustomed to experiencing our loved one with our usual physical senses for so long in the physical realm and then, suddenly, they are gone- no more to be seen, heard, felt or experienced in that same way is jarring. Without an after-death sign anywhere is sight, this might make one wonder about things that were previously just accepted and taken for granted.

It’s mind boggling to suddenly be forced to experience a departed loved one in a much different way, such as a spirit or an energy field… the subtle form of who they once were. In those who are abruptly thrust into facing such an existential crisis as a death, the survivors are forced into finding a deeper understanding and meaning for themselves. Of course, there are always some painfully nagging questions I  am asked about. Here are some of them-

  • I know what I’ve been taught, but does my loved one still exist? Really?
  • Is my departed loved one around me now?
  • Does my departed loved one remember me now? Care for me? Love me still? Am I important enough to be remembered?
  • Does my departed loved one know how I feel and what I’m thinking? I wish they knew. I wish I could tell them.
  • Can/will my departed loved one visit me at times or send signs for me?
  • Will my departed loved one guide my path and protect me throughout the days of my life?
  • Is my departed loved one happy and free?
  • Does my departed loved one want me to be happy and free?
  • Can my grief ever be healed? Will I ever smile again?
  • Will my departed loved one be there when I need them the most?

By the way, for anyone who might wonder about some of these same questions as well, my knowledge and experience informs me that the answer to all of these questions is yes, Absolutely.

So, where can science and faith possibly meet? Energy is the foundation we can build upon.

“The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another. … In other words, energy cannot be created or destroyed.” What this means is that everything has always existed and can never not exist. It’s just that it can existed in one form or another.

The end is not really the end. There is no end. Even science, The Law of Conservation of Energy agrees. Not one bit of you (the foundational part of you) is gone. Like water, ice and condensation is the same just a different consistency, the form is another form now. Physical is now subtle energy. And, at some point, that can change form, too.

We are still together. Although we can’t explain exactly what that looks like, because we can’t comprehend that far outside of what our brains can think, we are made from the same energy fabric, always and forever. How could we not be together- always and forever? 

“You need not have faith; indeed, you should not have faith.” Because science knows what we’ve previously just had faith about. “They can measure, that scientists have measured precisely the conservation of energy and found it accurate, verifiable and consistent across space and time. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they’ll be comforted to know your energy’s still around. According to the law of the conservation of energy, not a bit of you is gone; you’re just less orderly. Amen.”

In other words, a departed loved one may not have a physical body at this time, but it doesn’t mean they no longer exist. They are just subtle energy now. It’s all energy though. We are all nothing but energy. We are one, together, always and forever.

They are a part of you, too. Even now, you influence them and they influence you. Energetically, they might even visit or give you a sign of their continued existence. They are still here, warming the way for us, through us and being our light as we wade through a chaotic world. Yet, with all these possibilities, many times, the saddest part of us falls prey to the belief that our departed loved one is far from us. Out there. Over there, somewhere… as if there were such a thing. What if they are over here, with us, within us, always and forever. What if that was not just a belief but an absolute knowing, instead? Without a sure knowledge, why would we choose to have the sad belief over the comforting one?

The author writes about what to tell the grieving widow, “All the photons that bounced from you (deceased husband) were gathered in the particle detectors that are her eyes, that those photons created within her constellations of electromagnetically charged neurons whose energy will go on forever.”

There is a lasting impression left on each of us, by us. In the physical realm, and in an energetic way, we recognize and bear witness of one another and our experiences, always to be remembered. And even… until the point at which we may be re-membered to each other- in another form. How exciting it is that we have the possibility of being together, forever with our beloved ones while we experience them in different ways.

A Physicist many not say it like this, like a person of faith would, that the distillation of a departed person’s energy is also known as spirit, and some might, but to me, what both are saying is basically the same thing. One is stated from more of a clinical and impersonal perspective, while the other explanation of faith may occur as a more warm, fuzzy, personally meaningful way. What if both ways of discovery were legitimate? And not, one perspective is valid and the other is not.

spirit: photo credit pixabay

spirit photo credit: pixabay

If we still exist in some form or another aspect of that form, what else are we without a physical shell, if we are not spirit energy? I never realized that science could be so reassuring when it came to death and an afterlife. But in allowing the perspectives of science and faith to interface, I take it as further evidence of what I’ve always known spirituality to be. Both perspectives working together can give us reassurance, comfort and hope. In the end, we never die. All is well.

energy photo credit: pixabay

energy photo credit: pixabay

 

Transforming Tragedy

Good and bad things happen in this dualistic world. Having an enlightened perspective can make all the difference in healing the wounds from these nightmares.

Bridgette writes:
“Both of my children were bi-racial. But this had nothing to do with their murders, it just made it difficult in their lives, as well as mine. I met their dad in High School when I was 15. At 16, I became pregnant with Tim and my parents sent me to a Catholic maternity home in New Orleans, when I was 4 months pregnant. They literally dropped me off. I was there through all the holidays and had no communication with them whatsoever. It was already decided for me, that I would give my baby up for adoption.”

“I can’t remember when my due date was, but the doctor said the baby was so big that he needed to induce labor and perform a c-section. At that time, I decided to call my parents to tell them that I would be keeping my baby. I was told I couldn’t come home if I kept that ‘nigger’ baby.” Continue reading

Bridgette’s Orbs

From her video camera, Bridgette catches this amazing show of orbs in her home. Look at the many sizes and watch how they move in unpredictable directions. 

Commentary- Bridgette has a knack for capturing orbs on video. Many times, it is her dogs that alert her that something other-worldly is present, then she runs the video cam. Sometimes she just runs the video cam, like in this example, to see what she can see. This time, she hit the jackpot. There are many different sized orbs, in varying colors, and moving at will in the direction of their choosing. Very interesting. Continue reading

Dustin’s Batting a Thousand

Dustin’s ‘batting a thousand’ in the after-death communication and sign department, as he makes those he regularly visits smile. 

Pat writes:
“Dustin showed up the other day. I have been taking my neighbor, Lori, to see her hubby everyday at a rehab place. I have made friends with some of the residents there. I was looking for a hat to give Stevie, a 33-year-old man in a wheel chair who can’t talk or write. For some reason we have become friends and he follows me around like at puppy dog.”

“Anyways, I went through all of Dustin’s hat’s looking for a red baseball hat…the Red Sox. I Did not find one, so was looking for a green Celtic hat that I knew he had. It just was not around. So, I put a navy Red Sox hat on a shelf to take the next day. When I got up the next morning, there was the green Celtic hat on the shelf and the Red Sox was on the floor. It was NOT there the night before! So I asked Dustin…do you want me to give Stevie the green one? Is that what you are telling me? I took both hats to the nursing home. And yep…Stevie picked the green one.” Continue reading

Eclipsing Life

As the moon passed over the sun in August’s eclipse, my cousin, Craig, peacefully eclipsed this life.

Throughout his adult life, my cousin, Craig, had his share of health issues, stemming from Cancer, to Lyme’s disease, to Multiple Sclerosis. Being a Scientist, whether it was a macrobiotic diet or something else he tried, he always found ways to either heal, or at least keep these diseases at bay. But, later on in his life, Craig came to experience complications from some of these debilitating diseases that left him struggling and unable to overcome.

It was February of 2017 when things took a turn for the worse. Craig came down with an infection that he couldn’t shake. The writing was on the wall. His loved ones knew his inevitable passing was closing in on both, him and them. Continue reading

Feathers From Our Angels

Four people receive the sign of a feather from the angel they love, who loves them too, and is watching over them from beyond. 

Sanjita writes:

Sanjita's Feather

Sanjita’s Feather

“Early on one Sunday morning, I found a little feather where I take shower everyday. It looks so awkward for the feather to be there because I live alone in my house. Secondly, the bathroom doesn’t have a window. Thirdly, the bathroom door is always closed after I use it and this is my first time seeing a little feather sticking on the bathroom wall.”

“The day before this happened, I was thinking about and talking to my departed best friend, Sadgunnan, because for so long there was no contact. I got busy with life and also, was traveling. As I spoke, I told him that I’m not sure where he is. Deep in my heart I was thinking if there is another moment, I wish I can see him or be with him just for a little while. I knew I was missing him and I told him to show me some signs that if he’s still around me. Usually he will come in my dreams, but to my surprise I saw a tiny feather at the bathroom the next morning. It’s impossible for any birds to fly in because there is no window in the bathroom.”

The Wonder of It All

In this after-death communication, as Reyna wonders… baby Connor lets his mother know that he is still around.

On June 1, 2015, Reyna lost her son, Connor. That was two years ago to the day. He was only 9 months old when SIDS tragically claimed his life. Reyna was 7 months pregnant with his baby sister at the time.

Image: Pixabay

lost pacifier (Image: Pixabay)

About 8 months after Connor’s passing, his “it’s a boy” pacifier that Reyna previously got at a baby shower for his, then, upcoming birth, disappeared and went missing for 4 months.

Finally, on the morning of June 1, 2016, while Reyna was sitting on the bed, Connor’s blue pacifier all of the sudden resurfaced right in front of her. This was an important day, as it was the one year anniversary of Connor’s passing!

“It was weird though,” Reyna explains, “because I had lost this plastic blue pacifier from Connor’s baby shower and I was wondering where it was.”
Continue reading

Dustin’s Popping Pills

In this after-communication, Dustin learns a new trick of popping pills to get his mother’s attention and show her that he is still with her.

Pat writes:
“Friday, as I was sitting at the kitchen table, a roll of paper towels fell off a shelf in the breeze way. I had not been back there all morning. I thought it just was not stacked right.”

“Then, as I was cleaning off the table, I tossed my husband’s vitamin pill bottle into his bin. 3 white pills fell out. I picked up the bottle and checked. The lid was screwed on tight and there were no holes in the bottle. I opened the bottle to see if the pills matched. Yep…they were all white.”

“I went out to run an errand. When I came back…there were 2 brown pills in the same spot where the white ones had been on the floor. I opened the bottle and yep…now there were brown pills in there also. Go figure.” Continue reading

Between Two Worlds

In an emergency to save her life, Rebecca has a close call as she hovers between two worlds with her departed son and mother. 

Last October, Rebecca began to have some pain in her body. After visiting her doctor in January, both figured it was not too serious and just chalked it up to some premenopausal issues.

Recently, Rebecca woke up in severe pain which was so bad that she was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. As it turned out, the unknown 8cm mass on Rebecca’s ovary ruptured and infection spread throughout her body. Needing to have two different surgeries to repair the damage, Rebecca was constantly being injected with opiates much stronger than Morphine. Even though she was not a big fan of opioids, they proved to be necessary for her to deal with her extreme pain level. Continue reading

The Gifts They Leave Behind

While cleaning the house, shortly before Christmas, Pat finds a Christmas gift from Dustin, intended for his mother.

Dustin's gift

Dustin’s gift

Pat writes:
“When I was cleaning a few weeks before Christmas, I found this gift all wrapped up, under the couch. It was from Dustin’s last Christmas here.”

“Dustin was always buying me little knick knacks. Somehow, it was stuck under the couch from 2014. (Shows how well I clean.)”

“Didn’t find it until a few weeks ago…2016.
I think he did this on purpose. My Christmas gift from Dustin…2016. He wanted me find it.”

Commentary- I am never surprised when I hear of this happening. I have even experienced this for myself from time to time. When this happens, it is fantastic! Somehow you just know that the gift you found was intended for you to find at that very moment. Continue reading

Taking Control of the Holidays

I know experiencing the holiday season without our loved ones can bring up a lot of emotional stuff. That’s bound to happen. But just a few quick ideas about how to navigate the holiday season to make sure that YOU are powerfully in charge.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

Customarily, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and to show our gratitude. I recommend taking some quiet time during the day to write a letter to your loved one. In it, you could express your gratitude for them and what they contributed to your life. You might even place a token or offering (something meaningful) for them with your letter as you put it in a special place; a self-made altar, a drawer or decorative box that holds the things of theirs that you treasure. Oh sure, you may have a good cry, but let it all out. Crying is the body’s natural way to release pain and the process of letting the tears out creates brain chemicals that will help us to feel better each and every time we cry. Crying won’t hurt you, it will heal you. So don’t be afraid of those tears, or even those emotions that are causing those tears. Feel what there is to feel. It’s okay. Continue reading