It had been a year since my mom started receiving hospice care when her nurse told us, “She only has a few days left.”
In her final days, I wanted to pamper my mom and get her some extra comfy all-cotton pajamas.
These days that’s hard to find, so I had to read every label on the rack to find the only pair of cotton PJs at the store.
Strangely enough, the brand name turned out to be pronounced like my dad’s name, but spelled differently. (Hue versus Hugh).
I thought, “That’s an interesting coincidence…”
Then I thought… “Mom would want me to get something for myself too.”
Side note:
My mom loved to shop, and sometimes I’d overhear her telling the cashier, “My daughter is a Reiki Master. She even has some Reiki and meditation albums online. She’s really good at what she does. ”
I wasn’t going to spend much time shopping, but on my way out, I spotted a sweatshirt I thought was super cute…
Now, “Hue and Hugh” was one thing, but that sweatshirt label grabbed my attention:
“I will see you again. This side or the other.”
In my mom’s final days, she wasn’t speaking with us much, so this felt like a message from spirit…
I probably whispered, “Wow!” out loud in the store.
A sense of stillness and awe came over me and, frankly, some giddiness at receiving this clear message.
It was like Mom’s higher self was telling me that everything would be alright. We’ll always be connected.
As a former dress designer, maker, and fashion buyer for a department store… naturally, a message on clothing was apropos for my mom.
I believe our souls live in all dimensions at once, and transcend time and space.
There really isn’t a this side or another side. There really isn’t a here and a there.
I see this all the time in my Reiki classes when we practice remote Reiki, and students get intuitive hits about people who they know nothing about.
And I hear about it from students after Reiki attunements when some of them share that they connected to a loved one who’s crossed over during the attunement.
I’ve also gotten signs from friends who have passed on… my grandmother, my mom, my dad, and a niece – who died a couple of years after my mom at just 29.
We are all connected in this deeper dimension. And although we can certainly feel very separate at times, we can’t actually be separate from our spiritual essence, our soul, our higher self, or from one another – even our loved ones.
Deep within us, all is well. We are whole and complete and connected to all that is, and to loved ones across time and space.
This doesn’t mean we won’t struggle when we lose a loved one or that we won’t grieve or miss them a lot.
Getting back to the story of my mom…
Just moments before she made her transition, something kinda miraculous happened.
As the wind whipped around at sunset, a beautiful yellow butterfly appeared outside my mom’s window and lingered for a while.
It seemed suspended in time, as if communicating from another dimension.
Mom peacefully took her last breath at 89 years young, as my brother and I sat by her side. It was an amazingly sacred and surreal experience.
I love what my mom told me just a few months earlier…
I started filming her on my phone and asked if there was a message she’d like to relay.
At first, she said:
“I’m going to another place. I’ve enjoyed it here (…mostly).”
Then she said:
“Love is the answer.”
I asked her, “What’s the question?”
Her words inspired me…
“A lot of people don’t know what love is, but I do. Be good to one another. Love one another. Never try to outsmart or outdo anyone. Always think positively if you can – and mostly, you can. Enjoy life, enjoy people. Love is the answer.”
In her upbeat nature, she concluded with, “I’ll see you soon!”
Thank you, Mom, for your zest for life and for being such an inspiration. Love you and miss you!!
Extending my gratitude to mothers, who make the world a better place, and to all those who offer love and support in its many forms.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Lisa
If you’ve lost your mom and you’re missing her this Mother’s Day, my heart goes out to you.
It’s not easy to lose those we love…
I wrote about my dad in “Messages from a Higher Plane,” where I tell the story of a special and comforting encounter on a flight just hours before my dad died.
P.S. If you’ve received a message or sign from a loved one? I’d love to hear about it. Just reply and share your story with me.
P.P.S. Yes, that was my mom’s license plate. One day, she called me up to tell me she had ordered a personalized plate…I had no idea she was planning to do that… |