The Accidental Medium

To Our Readers:
This is the continuing email conversation about Ghosts between my old friend McFly and I to help him with his Ghost Tours of New Orleans. Here are Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6.

Dear McFly,
I decided I should cover the much affronted, often shunned Ouija Board in this missive, along with some pointers to practice safe psychic with this tool. So the next question added to the list is:

#7   What about using a Ouija Board to contact ghosts?
Well first of all, Ouija boards have been around for hundreds of years in one form or another, allowing “regular folk” to talk to spirits – no Medium, training or séance required. You can even make your own. Whoo Hoo!  A deal at twice the price.

“Ouija board” is the official name of the Parkers Brothers game but its generic version is a divination tool that is also referred to a “spirit board” or a “talking board”.  Some people conjecture that Ouija means “Yes, Yes” – from the French word “Oui”and the German word “Ja”.

Note to the Uninitiated:
A Ouija Board – pronounced “Wee Gee ” – is a flat board marked with letters, numbers, words (commonly Yes, No, Hello, Goodbye, Maybe) and other symbols. It uses a planchette (a small 3-legged heart-shaped piece of wood) or a pointer such as an overturned glass.  The fingers of the participants are lightly placed on the planchette or pointer and one of the participants ask a question of any “spirit” present: The planchette seemingly slides of its own accord across the board until it stops over one of the words or sometimes spells out an answer to a question on the board.

Schools of Ouija Thought.
There seem to be three schools of thought about the Ouija Board:  Some users see it as just a fun game – and they leave it at that.  (2) Other users believe that they are in contact with Spirits who are spelling out Ouija Board answers to their questions (3) Skeptics believe Ouija Boards are totally bogus and that those using the board either consciously or unconsciously move the pointer to what is selected.

In the ghost-hunting world (of which I am not apart), there is a macho faction where individuals ‘prove’ how courageous they are by going into haunted places, turning off the lights and using the Ouija Board – alone with a flashlight.  Commando Ouija – It’s silly.

I personally believe that the movements of a Ouija board CAN be the result of contact with Spirits, and it can ALSO be unconscious movements by the Users.  In my particular family, with our lineage of intuitives, I believe the Ouija Board often acts as a Spirit Board.

The Ouija Board Talks
My first cousin recounted to me a story of long ago, when my older brother and cousin were 8 and 9 years old.  They were using our Ouija board at our grandparents old farmhouse and came into contact with a 3-year old girl who spelled out her name E-M-M-A, and gave them the message that she had died there and was their cousin. The young Ouiji’ers went to our parents and grandparents, asking them about “Emma”.  The elders were quite shaken by this, asking – How did you know about her?

There was indeed a little girl who died on the farm, before my Mom was even born. The little girl was my great uncle’s first daughter and her name was Emma.  She died of “the preefie” (a generic term for some long forgotten disease). Discussion of Emma was off limits in the family because it was too hard on my great Uncle, and then as time went by, Emma’s existence was all but erased from the family history- until some 50 years later when my brother and cousin were playing around with our Parker Brothers Ouija Board.

Ouija Board goes off limits.
From then on, my brothers and I were not allowed to use the Ouija Board and our own copy of the game mysteriously disappeared from our household.  Some of my cousins, aunts and uncles still use the Ouija Board for a fun evening at the cottage, or as a New Year’s party game.  They have had some amazing “contacts”.  They keep asking me to join in, but I defer. Maybe one day. When I was younger I was too scared to participate because I was terrified of ghosts. And now I can have my own chats, so what’s the point?

Should you use a Ouiji Board?
It’s up to you.  But if you do, there are some caveats. It’s important to know that in using a Ouija Board, you don’t get to choose who comes in. They do.  You may get someone who is in Spirit (from a higher realm who is all love) or someone who is in ghost form (from the astral planes that closest to our physical realm).  Some ghosts are nice, and some are not: You could be giving an open invitation to anyone. You don’t get to choose. Your front door is wide open.  Would you let just anyone into your house? As we’ve discussed, some spirits who have not passed over, a.k.a. some ghosts can be troublesome.

Be Prepared.
Just as we have some nasties on this side of the veil, you may get nasties coming in from the astral planes. You want to be prepared beforehand to make sure a lowlife doesn’t glom onto you – giving you an icky feeling, anxiety, extreme fear or even depression.  Ghosts can be troublemakers that can mess up your aura and make you feel “off”, upset, ungrounded or downright sick.

Spiritual Protection.
Spiritual protection work sounds kind of scary but it’s really about boundaries. Before we venture out into the big world, we need to have our boundaries in place or we get used and abused. It’s no different when hobnobbing with ghosts: it’s important  to create a psychic perimeter of protection around you that tells the lowlifes to buzz off.

Awareness is Key.
Just the awareness that some ghosts can be a pain in the butt can help you keep your natural guard up against a lowlife.  In other words, ‘they know you know about them’ and will more likely stay away.

You can do a visualization.
Before you begin using the board, wrap yourself in sparkling white light from head to toe – encapsulating yourself in a cocoon of protection.  White light does wonders in keeping the ‘ner do wells away.

Call for Back-Up.
If you are so inclined, you can call in your Spirit Guides and Angels, asking them ‘to protect you and clear away any entities that do not have the highest good for all involved.’ You don’t have to know your guides and angels to call them in. You don’t even have to believe in them. Just do it. The more you acknowledge your spiritual posse, the more you will become aware of them and benefit from their support.

Your Spirit Guides.
Spirit Guides are loved ones who have crossed over. You may have known them from this life or another life. They are here to support you on your journey.  You just need to ask for their help. We have access to many guides. Some are with us for life, others at specific times.

The Angelic Realm.
Angels are very real beings from the very high realms: They are non- denominational – in fact many denominations speak of angels – and are not just a product of Hallmark or the Bible. Some say angels have never incarnated on earth, others say that angels can incarnate in a human body.   I don’t think it matters, other than to know that Angels are messengers of Pure Consciousness, God, Allah, Yahweh, Vishnu, Krishna, All That Is, The Divine, Source,  or whatever you prefer to call the omniscient higher power at work every where in the Universe.  We all have at least one angel assigned to us, who watches over us for our entire lifetime.  So if you’ve ever felt you were somehow divinely protected in a particularly dangerous situation – you were. And you are.

A prayer works.
You can also try a group invocation at the beginning of the game, and order that only those with the best intentions and bringing the highest good for all involved be allowed to come in this evening.  You can use your own words to create your prayer, but you get the idea.

Your intention.
Did I mention that Ouiji Boards should only be used for the highest good of all involved?  That goes for this side too. Don’t use it to find out things that are none of your business, manipulative or underhanded.  By using a Ouija Board for ill-intent, you will likely bring in lower vibrating entities who will be dishonest, may say harmful things, and possibly glom on to your lower vibration and take you for an uncomfortable ride.

If you get slimed..
If you start to feel icky during or after using the Ouija board, call it out. “I feel ill!  If there is an entity that is not welcome here, I demand that you leave this instant!”   Again, awareness will banish most lowlifes.

To be on the Safe Side
Whether or not you feel you’ve been infiltrated, you can “cut your chords” during or after a Ouija outing: Literally do karate chops in front of you, and say “Cut!” or “No!” and that will cut any energetic ties to you.  I also strongly suggest that you take an Epsom Salt bath or shower if you have been out hobnobbing with the other side – this will help clear your aura.  Water does that.

Protection work in haunted places.
I also suggest that people do some kind of protection work when they go into a known haunted zone. Wrap yourself in light. Call in your guides and angels. Ask that only those entities who have the best intentions for all involved be present.

And speaking of present…
You’ll want to keep your fear at bay so stay present. How do you do that? Fear is about worrying something will happen in the future. You feel no fear if you are in the present moment.  If you start to feel fear take over you, concentrate on your breathing (feel the air go in and out), tell a joke, sing a song, whistle,  get angry (yell at the air telling the unseen to back off if they do not have the best intentions for all involved). I’ve been known to recite some of my childrens’ favorite poetry such as the family classic, “Cuddles the Cow”.  That kind of thing.

Archangel Michael.
If you are feeling freaked, call Archangel Michael to come in and protect you and banish all low vibrating energies from the space. It really works, and you don’t have to believe in angels to make it happen.

You might feel stupid – but you can call Archangel Michael in your head. Just do it.  It’s amazing how the air clears when you do that. And don’t worry about bugging Archangels for seemingly mundane things like feeling the hair stand on the back of you neck. Angels are happy to help – That’s their job. They’ll come with you even if you aren’t scared. All you have to do is remember to ask. (And say Thank You afterwards).

All this information is not meant to scare anybody.
It’s meant to make you more aware. Awareness of the potential pitfalls of fraternizing with ghosts can help you to avoid said pitfalls. I imagine some of my relatives will say all this protection work is really not necessary – but the more sensitive you are, the more you need to delineate and make your boundaries known. You don’t want to bring home any unwanted stragglers.

There you have it, McFly – Ouija Boards 101, along with an introduction to Spiritual Protection.  Are you ready to say “Oui” to the Ouiji?

I trust your Ghost Tours will rock and go bump in in the night…

Tida (a.k.a The Accidental Medium)

— With thanks to Spirit for infinite return.
(c) 2010, 2011, 2012 The Accidental Medium. UltraMarine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Childbirth is brutal on your body.
What happens after wards is a big secret your girlfriends don’t tell you about. The sleep deprivation.  Your vital organs jiggling inside you, seemingly unattached to your skeletal structure.  The flabby skin jiggling outside you. Gone is the bikini belly along with the possibility of a perky butt anytime soon.  Then there are the pendulous breasts, clearly not your own, that make you feel like a milking machine. Mooooo.

After I had my second child, I had all sorts of additional minor postpartum issues – like misalignment of my spine, twisted sacrum and a problem with a vein that made my leg muscles ache. Child-bearing is not for whoosies.

But the main issue was my child herself.
Matilda had infant acid reflux and she would turn blue and start to choke if left lying flat for too long. She couldn’t be left alone. I tried feeding her at different times, in different positions, raising her head, raising her bed, putting her to sleep in a baby swing, strapping her into a baby car seat. Nothing worked. Functioning on very little sleep, I finally resorted to sitting up with Matilda in my arms and “sleeping” (I use that term loosely) that way each night for 8 months.

Matilda grew out of her baby reflux, but my aches and pains got worse. On the insistence of my husband who has messed up his own body from sitting at a computer too long, I went to see his massage therapist.

I’m always careful who I choose to work on my body.
It’s not just about skill level of or comfort level with the therapist. As an intuitive, I’m aware of and exposed to all kinds of energies, and with significant lack of sleep, there is always the possibility that a lower vibrating energy may glom on to me.  And there are the times I get scared, frustrated or angry and hold that energy in me.  Whatever the cause, it doesn’t feel good.  And when this lower energy eventually finds itself incompatible with me, it can break off and find somebody else to glom onto. I want my therapist to be protected from any bad energy I might inadvertently bring in.

Then there’s the practitioner’s office – it may not be clear.  The therapist may have worked on somebody else with bad vibes, negative thoughts or what have you – and that low energy may be hanging around ready to meld with the next client’s energy. yuck.

I don’t mean to sound dramatic here.
But you know how some places bring you down and other places lift you up? Some spaces feel leaden and others feel airy?  You know how you are attracted to some people but want to stay well away from others? You may have even experienced a blue funk that seems to hang on to you for a few hours or even a few days after you’ve visited a bummed out friend.  You are experiencing your own clairsentience (ability to feel energy). You’ve been exposed to low vibrating energy.

Meditation transmutes lower energies, as does exercise, relaxing in a warm Epsom salt bath,  spending time with happy people, finding the humor in a situation, laughter, being in nature or other sacred spaces.  If you don’t transmute this energy, it stays in the same low form and if it doesn’t stick to you it looks for another place to roost.

We are all energy. We need to protect our own energy as well as manage the energies around us.

Susan is a tall strong woman and a gentle soul.
A single Mom, she started up her massage therapy services just after her second child was born. Her second child is the same age as Matilda. I don’t know Susan well, but we took our children to the same playgroup.

When I walk into Susan’s treatment room, I see that she practices safe energy management. The room doesn’t feel heavy. It’s an oasis. There’s light orchestral music playing in the background. The faint scent of massage oil and incense floats in the air. There is a huge chunk of glistening purple Amethyst sitting on a side table and a healthy plant on another. Scentless candles burn silently in the corners of the room.

Even though Susan is noticeably careful about keeping her treatment room clear, I can see how this room could hold on to low energy. Fresh air flow and natural light help to easily maintain positive energy in a space:  This room is in a basement. It’s located far from the main reception door that leads to the outside. There are no windows. This is a busy health center. Lots of people in pain. Lots of issues in the tissues release themselves here.

We talk about my issues – my sore back and leg – and how best to proceed. She starts working to relieve the tight muscles I’ve developed holding Matilda for months at a time.

I haven’t told Susan about my abilities – but my husband has.
As she works on my aches, I tell her how I appreciate the effort she takes to keep this space clear. Susan admits that the space is not ideal – she’s renting the room from another health care practitioner.

I comment on her giant half geode of amethyst.  Amethyst is known for its energy transmuting properties – the stone helps to clear and protect a space from holding on to lower energies.  Susan stops to show me her favorite book – the Book of Stones. We share a reverence for these rocks – there is something magical about them. They have a strength and vibration that lifts our spirits, and makes us both feel grounded, strong, clear and centered.

Out of the blue, Susan says, “I need to ask you about something. I’ve only told two close friends. They think it’s just in my head. Maybe you might know what’s going on…”

I listen, my eyes closed. “Sure! What’s up?”

Susan starts slowly. “Well, there’s this balloon…It’s in my house.”

“Okay…”

Susan continues. “This balloon follows me everywhere. It even follows me UP the stairs. And it’s NOT HELIUM! It’s freaking me OUT!” Susan’s anxiety becomes palpable.

I’m thinking out loud, “What color is the balloon? Where is it around you?”

Susan mutters, “I don’t remember the color. It just follows me – it’s around me or just shows up in the room. I keep putting it back in the closet and the next thing I know it’s in the kitchen with me!”

Susan isn’t one to freak out easily.
She’s got a lovely calm way about her. Something is definitely up. There’s a balloon in her house that’s following her around like a dog. It’s wigging her out. Yet she doesn’t get rid of it. hmmmm.

With my eyes still closed, I take three deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. And immediately I see a blue balloon bouncing along invisible air currents and following Susan up a flight of stairs – it’s at her right shoulder.

I’m not thinking, I’m talking. “Has your Dad passed?” I feel he has.

Susan says, “Yes. He died a while back.”

I blurt out. “Did you have a good relationship with your Dad?” I don’t wait for an answer. “No, I don’t think you did. Doesn’t matter. He’s trying to get your attention. He’s trying to help you. So what’s happening with you right now? Something else is going on that’s upsetting you.”

I know next to nothing about Susan’s family. I don’t know how I know, but it’s so obviously her Dad. I don’t even know why it’s obvious. It just is.

Susan pauses. “Well… I’ve been trying to do this quietly. You’re right. I need to be out of this space.  So I’ve put an offer in on the old MacLeary place across from Alan’s Hardware Store. It’s perfect for my family and for running my massage therapy.

“I don’t know if I’ll get it. I don’t know how I’ll get it. I need a mortgage, and I’m a single Mom, and self-employed.  I’ve just started this practice so there’s no business track record. I’m not the best credit risk. And Mr. Alan has been trying to buy that place for years. He’s tried to start a bidding war …

“Luckily, Mrs. MacLeary said she’d prefer to sell to me.  She seems more interested in who gets her house than getting the highest price. But if I can’t get my financing in order fast I won’t be buying it. She needs to sell – she can’t wait much longer. Alan is waiting with a signed check with Mrs. MacLeary’s name on it. I’m stressed.”

Susan goes silent. I get another download.
“Your Dad is trying to make things right with you. Don’t you worry. He’s working in the background. Don’t panic. Just keep moving forward. You are meant to have that house. It’s going to happen soon.”

Faith is a funny thing. You need it most when life gets bumpy and uncertain – and that’s when faith is most difficult to find and hold on to.  Susan is obviously wrung out by this emotional roller coaster. Her ego has taken over, playing this “Will-it-or-won’t it” question in her head. Worrying her. Wearing her down.

I tell Susan, “Do what you can do, and then let it go. It will work out. What else do you need to do to secure the mortgage?”

Susan goes into the details. “My real estate guy says I need to get a co-signer for the mortgage. But the only one is my Mom. But she lives in Florida. But I need to get her to agree to this first, then get all the original documents to her, have her sign them, then get them back to me in time – by the end of the week – then the real estate guys need to do their stuff.  But I just don’t see how that’s all going to happen. It’s too much…”

Susan is overwhelmed. The ‘buts’ are blocking her. I don’t have any rational proof that she can pull this off in a few days, but I am compelled to say, “Just do it. It will happen. Your Dad is on your side. Well, he’s actually on the other side, but he’s pulling some strings. He’s going to make things right with you. After we’re done here, call your Mom, get the documents, call Fedex and get those documents rolling. Then you’ll have done all you can do. Let it go. It will happen.”

One week later.
I walk into Susan’s treatment room. I’m reluctant to pry but I ask anyway. “So… how goes the real estate deal?”

“I got it!!!” Susan bursts into a huge smile.

“I knew it!!!” I think I’m as excited as she is. “And the balloon is blue.”

Susan beams back, “Yes! I wanted to tell you!  The balloon is blue.”

— With thanks to Spirit for infinite return.
(c) 2010, 2011, 2012 The Accidental Medium. UltraMarine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I’m not sure what this all means.
For no apparent reason, my mind keeps slipping back to a time about 10 months ago when my Mom’s old friend Jean passed away: Spirit is getting my attention with these repetitive thoughts. The reason for these thoughts is not clear, at least not yet.  Spirit is persistent – but it’s on its own timeline.

Why am I being reminded of Jean’s passing? It’s not the anniversary of her death. I was not close to Jean – I don’t feel her loss in a close personal way. It’s not that Mom has been talking about her. In fact, there seem to be no people or events that have triggered the replays in my head. It’s odd. Unresolved. I’ll wait and watch for clues that point to what this is all about.

I’ve learned not to ignore repetitive messages.
They pop in from nowhere, in times of “no mind”. Like in the early morning when the house is quiet and I’m waiting for the coffeemaker to beep, or when I’m tidying up the girls’ rooms, or cleaning out the kitty litter. During these times of habitual routines and chores, a calm space is made.  It’s a clearing that’s far enough away from the surrounding ‘busy thought’ that it invites messages from Spirit to easily slot into my consciousness, much like a dvd inserts into a dvd player.

Now as I’m folding laundry, the space is filled with more than a memory. I’m being told specifically to remember this moment of remembering Jean – for future reference. This is the message. And no more. Spirit rewards patience.

I remember the call.
It’s a hot summer evening in July of last year. We’re on holiday in the big city – and far away from my Mom. The girls are pouring through the new books we’ve bought on an expedition to Borders Books that afternoon – an activity that got us out of the beating mid-day heat. I’m now reading and my husband is watching a documentary when the phone rings.

My Mom is distraught.
She’s heard through the seniors’ grapevine that her friend of more than 60 years has died of heart failure. Jean was admitted into the hospital and is now dead, just days later. My Mom is understandably upset – one of her oldest friends has died and nobody called her to let her know. The funeral is the following day in a far-off city, and there is no way Mom can make arrangements to be there in time.

My Mom can’t believe it. It’s happened so fast. She’s the last one left – her two best friends from college are now gone. There’s nobody to share those cherished memories with. Underlying this is the quiet shock that Jean’s family has not called her to let her know.

I don’t know Jean very well at all.
I may have met her a half dozen times in my life. She didn’t live in the same town. Our families didn’t visit. I’ve never been to her house. I don’t know any of her children. The past couple of years, Mom and Jean talked on rare occasions but they always picked up where they left off. Lifetime friends do that. Mom doesn’t talk much about their time at college together: Mom’s life has taken many twists since those free-wheeling college days – those memories from a bygone era that have nothing to do with kids, grandkids, careers, moves and empty nest syndrome.

I assure Mom I’ll try to tap in.
My Mom believes in my abilities, and she’s also concerned, nervous, and generally uneasy about them none-the-less. But when she needs my help in an intuitive capacity, my Mom does not hesitate to call. She is suspicious by nature – Mom’s favorite saying is “I’m just playing the devil’s advocate.” (Fair enough). Yet she somehow trusts the messages I receive from Spirit, despite how it unnerves her.

As the summer sun goes down, my family settles in for the night. The room is in quasi-darkness with lamplight filtering in through the curtains, turning the room a deep blue, and the sounds of traffic drift up from the street. My two wee girls are asleep, my husband snores quietly at my side.

I wrap everyone in white light.
In my mind I call in my guides, and swirl bands of sparkling white light around each family member. Then I fill the entire room with white light. This routine serves to protect us from unwanted spirits who may decide to drop in and wake us all up. We gals are like tuning forks that inadvertently broadcast our communication abilities to the spirit world. Wrapping calms the room, raises the vibration and helps to keep out the lower energy riff-raff. I know it may sound weird. But sleep is precious to me, so I rarely miss a night’s wrapping. I know what it can be like when I don’t wrap.

Next, I clear my chakras (the body’s energy centers) with a mini-meditation that helps me to receive clear messages. Then I do a breathing meditation to make that clear space that invites messages from Spirit to drop in. It only takes a few minutes to wrap everyone and clear me.

I say in my head, “If it is meant to be, please let Jean come through to me.” I don’t think – just calmly hold the space. My head is clear. No thoughts. No expectations. I’m actively present.

Jean comes right in.
It jolts me a bit. I feel hyper-alert. I’m surprised how easy it is to tap into her vibration – it’s as though she’s been waiting for me. I realize she HAS been waiting for me to bring my energy up to hers. Jean’s energy is so light, I can feel its warmth spread through my heart chakra.

Jean immediately starts talking. I don’t see her but her voice is clear and strong as I remember it.

“Tell your Mother I’m so sorry. I hadn’t planned on going. But I saw the window and I took it. I couldn’t go back. I was so tired. It was my way out. Tell your Mom, please don’t be upset with my family. They couldn’t have known I was going to go.  I came down with a virus. And I went very fast. I didn’t have to go just then but I was ready. I was exhausted. It was time. But there was no time for them to prepare.”

I see the words “C. Difficile” printed on the screen inside my head.

Then Jean starts showing me movies.
They are playing in my head – of her with my Mom and their other best friend Evelyn: The triumvirate of girlfriends all on scholarships, sitting in a beautiful room with tall ceilings and dark paneling.  The three bright young women are chatting away on a big couch, wearing twin sets and smoking cigarettes, their vivacious energy creating the epicenter of the room, while other students circle around them. These women are obviously the movers and shakers there. My Mom? A mover and a shaker? Who Knew?

I’m now seeing a tiny dorm room. There is a goldfish in a bowl sitting on a shelf in front of the window. Jean guffaws. The scene really tickles her funny bone. I wonder what that’s all about?

The scene changes again – Jean shows me the three of them all dressed up in strapless ball gowns at a formal dance, corsages on their wrists. There’s a young man on stage in a big band, playing the clarinet. Jean’s obviously got her eye on him. Her future husband, perhaps?

Jean’s energy begins to fade.
I feel her step back. I promise her I’ll tell Mom her message. I tell her how glad I am she’s in a better place, and let her know I’m here if she ever needs me to get messages across. She knows that. And then she’s gone.

I call Mom the next morning and tell her Jean’s message – How sorry she was to leave so quickly and cause Mom such pain. She didn’t mean to leave quite so abruptly, but she saw the window and went for it.  And her family hasn’t been able to cope with her sudden passing. Mom is very surprised yet very relieved. But she questions, “I was told Jean died of heart failure, not from a virus.”

“Well, that’s what she told me.” I don’t waiver. I trust what I’ve been told.

I relate to Mom the scenes Jean showed me from their time in college.  Were they at center of the social whirl? Mom downplays it but it is indeed the case. My Mom was social convener for her year – and she and her two girlfriends were inseparable. I describe the room where she sat with Jean and Evelyn – Mom says I’m describing the Women’s Residence Common Lounge. I ask her how Jean met her husband – he played the clarinet in a dance band.

I ask her, “What’s with the goldfish?” Mom laughs. She had a pet goldfish she kept in her dorm room. It got so cold that one morning Mom woke up and the goldfish bowl had ice forming on top of the water.  So she moved the bowl to sit on top of  the radiator in front of the window, so the goldfish wouldn’t freeze in the winter time.  Jean always got a kick out of that college story.

You won’t believe this!
The next evening Mom calls me back with an update. She’s excited. Elated in fact. Mom has talked to Jean’s son. Jean had died of a viral infection. She’d been admitted for pneumonia then she’d contracted C. Difficile in the hospital and she was so weak, they couldn’t get it all under control. My message is corroborated.

Jean had been taking care of her husband whose health had been failing recently. Her husband wouldn’t contemplate moving out of their huge home into a care facility. Jean was exhausted from being a caregiver AND housekeeper AND caretaker. It was a difficult situation, and one her husband wouldn’t let her out of. (Or so the family thought. Jean saw a way out and took it!)  Jean’s words now make more sense.

“That’s amazing. You knew!” my Mom utters in quiet relief. Listening to the tone of my Mom’s words, I realize that she’s letting go of what was, and starting to come to terms with what is – accepting her friend’s sudden departure, and finding compassion to forgive Jean’s family for forgetting Mom in the aftermath. I recognize that’s why Jean came in so quickly and clearly:  She was determined to set the record straight, and make things right with her dear friend.  I was the medium.

“I don’t know anything, Mom.  Jean told me.” I impress upon Mom that I’m just the messenger. I create a blank mental slate that Spirit can write on.

Now it’s almost a year later.
Jean keeps cropping up in my head and I’m hoping to get this question resolved. I call my Mom to find out how Jean’s husband is doing. Maybe she’s popping up because he’s sick. But Mom has recently heard that he’s doing fine, and remains in his house.

I am often reminded that Spirit doesn’t neatly wrap and deliver the whole story on a silver platter. There are always missing pieces and the story never really ends. When it’s time, I’ll come across some of those missing pieces along my own journey. I trust I’ll find out why I’ve been thinking about this woman I barely knew.  Spirit rewards faith with revelation.

— With thanks to Spirit for infinite return.
(c) 2010, 2011, 2012 The Accidental Medium. UltraMarine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.