tragedy

Deep Thoughts for Spring

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Welcome to the advent of Spring! The Spring Equinox arrives March 19th.

Most folks, myself included, love the beginning of Spring! “Bring it on,” as they say. It’s time to plant seeds, literally. And, metaphorically, it’s time to plant “seeds” to bring about the needed changes in our lives – mentally, emotionally, physically and of course spiritually, the core of our being and soul.

March, of course, is filled with many fun holidays, including one of my favorites, St. Paddy’s Day. And for the more religious among us, Purim, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter . . . Whew! Quite extraordinary.

Just recently, a colleague of mine experienced something quite extraordinary, but in a negative way. A neighbor shot her kitty cat, wounding the animal seriously.

While there are many ways to handle painful situations, the rules change a bit if one is a spiritual counselor, as is my colleague. There are do’s and don’t’s.

Of course, we all have experienced the impulse to respond – as they say in the Old Testament – with an eye for an eye. Especially when someone in our family has been hurt. And, as we know, our furry companions are our family!

But that is not the way to go for anyone, especially a spiritual counselor. For we are all part of God. My colleague was of course angry and expressed that to the neighbor but took no steps of revenge, knowing, of course, that, “Karma is a bitch!”

We are all accountable for our actions, period. The person who shot the kitty will be held responsible, at some point, and pay a price. On a brighter note, although the kitty had to have his leg removed, he will in time heal, especially since he is surrounded by a loving family.

Of course, it would be a less joyful world without our furry companions. They are part of the ecological cycle and make the world a more precious, warm, and loving place to live and share. Be clear, that those who honor Mother Earth, also honor the creatures with whom we share this blessed space.

On another note, I recently received an email from a family I saw several years ago in Toronto . . . after my TV show The Afterlife was aired on OutTV in Canada. I remember, it was a very intense session, so much so that I wrote about it in my newsletter. It was wonderful to hear from them again, and learn that their transgender son’s passing did and continues to bring the family closer together in a way they hadn’t been prior to his crossing over to the Other Side.

It had been a heartwarming experience for me to serve as medium for this family, and I can’t help but note how things have changed here in the U.S.A. regarding transgender people. Most of us have moved on from total shock toward an acceptance of the differences among us. The hit TV show Transgender, and the movie The Danish Girl, helped spur things along. And then of course, there’s the story of Caitlyn Jenner.

Reflecting on all this, I recall how honored I felt to be chosen by this family which felt that I would be particularly sensitive to the issues at hand, and that I wouldn’t judge their transgender child who had committed suicide. Thankfully, I was able to convey all the feelings and thoughts that this family so needed to hear and know, from their loved one on the Other Side. Specifically, how the child felt incapable of being who he was, and how he felt to have taken his own life.

Thinking about this family, and knowing what they went through, and realizing that they can still love and forgive, and keep their hearts open, is an inspiration. How wonderful that they can continue to share the experiences their son, who became a daughter, taught them.

Now my friends, I know this is Spring, and that this is not one of my usual light Spring topics. However, I felt that I would be doing a disservice to all those parents and children who have gone through either one of these “taboos,” if I didn’t relay this story. I trust you will understand.

On a related note, hearing Jeffery Tambor speak, after winning the Emmy for his performance as a transgender person, about the greatest blessing he’s ever experienced playing that part, warmed my heart. The world is changing. But the bottom line is, we all want the same things in life, including someone to love.

And we all want warmer weather. So, in the spirit of Spring, remember . . . it is a new beginning for all. Let us head the words of the master, Jesus: “Judge not.” For we are all a part of God. All of our children are and will continue to be part of God. And yes, we will all be met by God and all our deceased loved ones when it is our time to cross over.

But in the meantime, come on! Everyone! Get ready! Soon it will be time to stop hibernating! Lose those coats, jump up and down and watch as the flowers begin to bloom. The breath of Spring is upon us!

Looking forward to sharing some spring fever with many of you!!!!! Check out my calendar for when I may be coming your way!

Springtime Reflections and Connections

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It’s May! Time to smell the flowers!

Of course, joy will be more tempered for us here in the Northeast this season, in light of recent events, including the wonderful people of Boston being victimized at their beloved Marathon, and the lockdown that followed. Tragically, it was a reminder of how life can change in a moment, or “on a dime,” as the old expression has it.

I had been asked last year if I would do a fund raiser in the Boston area for Liam Nation, a organization that helps children with Down syndrome and autism. Hey, I love Boston and do a couple of events a year there, and since this is a great cause, I agreed.

As fate would have it, my appearance there turned out to be right after the bombing. It was touch and go for a while whether I’d be able to get into the Boston area, but one thing I knew for sure: Boston needed all the healing it could receive during this time. So I persevered and fortunately was able to get thru.

I couldn’t help but feel a special connection to the people of Boston as the tragedy came with such an intensity, bringing me back to the unspeakable 9/11 horrors in New York City over a decade ago. Back then, and in Boston recently, so many people did manage to bond together to help heal their cities.

Once again, it is the loved ones left here in the physical realm who must deal with the loss and pain, and to make sense of it all. And once again, I get emails about my book, Everything Happens for a Reason. People ask, what was the reason for this tragedy?

My response is always the same. I can’t give you the specific reasons for everything that happens, but what this is about is our own souls’ processes and journeys.

And of course it could have been worse. I heard one officer say that although it was so painful for those who were directly victimized, and their families and friends, many more might have been injured or killed. Indeed, I got to speak to a number of families and connected to those who had lost limbs. Courageously, they said that they were happy to be alive.

As you know, my work is about the living – those who are still here, processing their pain and grief. It is important to remember that our loved ones who have crossed over are fine and well on the Other Side. We who are left here actually have the tougher job.

It helps to know deep in our souls that we don’t die, and that our loved ones want us to open our hearts to them, and to watch and listen for the signs they will send. We just have to work at being open. We have to figure out the way or the ways DP (dead person) contact works for us, and let it happen. Trust me, they are many ways, as I discuss in my books.

Remember, the more you are open to communication to the Other Side, the better the chances of maximizing your DP connections. Love is the vehicle. Heed the words of John Lennon: “All you need is Love.”

In closing, please let me note that I’m doing my Mothers Day event once again this year for WXLO, outside Boston. I hope to see many of you there. I also look forward to returning to Chicago and Denver.

Thank you all who attended my Connecticut event, which is always so special.