DP

Summer: Time to Play!

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Okay kids, time to play! Dive in the pool, stroll along the shore, or take a trip to the country. Maybe enjoy a hike in the woods, or a visit to your local park. Feel the breeze! Whatever works to get back to Nature and listen to the songs of the birds. It’s time to be a kid again. July makes it easy.

As they say, all work and no play makes for a very dull person indeed! Spirit – being God, angels, spirit guides, or whomever you connect with – really loves you when you work, but really, really loves you when you play! So, I am giving you all a little nudge. Have some fun! Because summer is officially here, and it’s very important to take time to totally enjoy the sun after a long and cold winter. (But don’t forget the sunscreen, as you live it up!)

I learned a very long time ago that my work is about the living, not our beloved DPs (dead persons). We who are still here in the physical are the ones who have to figure out how to get joy out of life, despite all the challenges – and there are many, including the loss of a loved one. But believe it or not, having fun is the most wonderful way to honor our DPs. Sure, they know we miss them, but they want us to process the grief, and return to living a happy life. Remember that our DPs went through their own share of losses during their time on Earth, but from those on the Other Side, I can tell you without a doubt that they want you to know that playing is one of the most important things you can do on your journey.

My journey to the Afterlife Conference in June was as wonderful as it was last year, and I was thrilled to meet new friends and reconnect with those I’ve met before. One very special thing that happened was when people came up to me and said how they loved that I talked about my garden and the seasons in my newsletters! I totally LOVED hearing that! And it answered a question of my own: Why is it important to focus on the seasons and Nature? Answer: because the seasons and Nature are reflective of our own state of mind and being.

No doubt about it – each season has a rhyme and reason, and there is beauty in every aspect. By so observing, you learn to appreciate that the seasons have a direct relationship to how we live our lives. Trying to play even when life is difficult is what moves us emotionally from one place to another. And that, my friends, is based on our ability to love, and on opening our hearts to be loved.

Joy is the key to how we can dig deep in the well of life, and I know that July can add a touch of being a kid again. Children know how to make just about anything a game of play. Even in this day and age, take away the high technology toys and gizmos, and you’ll be surprised how kids can quickly figure out how to play in other ways. Getting the kids out in Nature is a great way to teach them, and a great way to teach yourselves. Yeah, there are many ways and places to play, my favorite of course being the garden.

Okay, kids, enough preaching! Go out and play! And Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy! July is waiting.

The Month of “Thanksgiving”

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November, the month of “Thanksgiving,” and for many a favorite holiday! It’s a time when we can share with many that need of family and friends. Of that desire to help out at a soup kitchen or local shelter. Truly a time to be thankful for all the blessings we have, beyond of course having a bountiful meal which many of us don’t have.

Some people, I realize, feel sad over the loss of our loved ones who are not sitting with us at the dining room table. Our loved ones on the Other Side know this and will often come around on Thanksgiving (or other holiday, or birthday, or anniversary, etc.) to remind us that they still want us to have that great meal and enjoy it, even if they’re not here in the physical. Some DPs (dead persons) just love having a place set for them, so if you are of a mind to do that, consider it! It’s one way to honor our departed loved ones.

Of course, as all pet owners know, honoring departed loved ones does not only apply to our deceased humans. Every once in a while a beautiful story of honoring is sent to me or it comes to me because of my total love and respect for the animal kingdom. Below is an edited version of the story of Lawrence Anthony (1950-2012), which appeared in Care Connection.

Lawrence Anthony is a legend in South Africa, and the author of three books including the bestseller, The Elephant Whisperer. During his lifetime, Anthony bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe, saving them from human atrocities. For example, his courageous rescue mission at the Baghdad Zoo to protect animals was a counterpoint of light to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

As his obituary read . . . On March 7, 2012, Lawrence Anthony died. He is remembered and missed by his wife, two sons, two grandsons, and numerous elephants. Two days after Anthony’s passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved “man-friend”. Believe it or not, a total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 112 miles to get to Anthony’s South African House.

Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence’s passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked in such an organized way, walking slowly, for days, making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house. Lawrence’s wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that for well over three years, the elephants had not been to Anthony’s house before that day! But yet they knew where they were going, and what had happened.

The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who had saved their lives. They held so much respect that they stayed for two days and two nights, without eating anything. Then, the next morning, they left, to begin making their long journey back home.

This story left me in tears, and exemplifies the power of Love in all beings. I have known for many years from working with animal communicators just how unbelievable elephants are. I recognize how many of you hold such high respect for the animal kingdom, especially after experiencing the loss of a beloved doggy, kitty, horse, or other beloved animal friend. And I am aware that some of you took in dogs during Hurricane Katrina, with some rescuers being outside the U.S. So this story is primarily for all of you animal lovers out there, even tho it is definitely a story that anyone can appreciate.

It’s always about love.

I’m looking forward to seeing many of my Connecticut folks on November 10. I’ll also be coming back for another “Hope for the Holidays” in Roanoke on November 21.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone, with an abundance of love. Keep in mind that Love can come from so many sources, including two and four legged beings here, or on the Other Side.