 I very recently celebrated a major milestone birthday. We won’t mention which one, we will just let it roll on by for now.:) This birthday was significant for many personal reasons and the days preceding and after it turned out to be more emotional than I expected. My birthday fell on a Friday so I ended up having a couple days of events to celebrate this milestone. (With that in mind, I do want to say thank you to my friends and family for making it a special time.) One of the events to celebrate this day was…..going to Red Lobster! Now laugh all you want but let me explain the significance. I grew up on a farm in Kansas and so we always ate meat and potatoes. My mother on her birthday each year would want seafood and the ONLY place close was a Red Lobster. As a child I remember driving what felt like 2-3 hours to get to the restaurant but in reality, was only about 45 minutes. It was mom’s special request each year. This memory is significant because I lost my mother to Cancer in November 2012, at too young an age. So this year has been impacted by the pain of that loss, my first birthday without her. So a few days before MY birthday, a TV commercial for Red Lobster came on at my home. I commented on how good it looked and wondered where in Los Angeles there would even be a R.L.? Well, my oldest child remembered my comment and when I received my birthday present from my kids, it was a Gift Card for dinner at Red Lobster! The next day was an emotionally tough day and we ended it with my girls and I at R.L. for dinner (only 15 minutes away). When we walked in R.L. we were taken into a quaint room just inside the restaurant. I say room because it had an open doorway with nice wood round pillars on each side, 3 booths, and 3 tables. We pretty much had our own room. As we enjoyed a lovely meal, the waiter inquired the reason for our visit. My daughter pointed out the celebration of MY birthday and the waiter replied with “Then we shall sing for you!” As the dessert was brought out and a lit candle was present to start the moment, the 6 waiters and waitresses sang the Happy Birthday song along with my children. I was calm, a little sad, happy, and comforted all at the same time. It was very nice. I even got a “Happy Birthday” from the lady at the table by the doorway that was leaving with her family. As we were walking up to the door when we got home, out of the blue my 8 year old daughter goes: “Mom, did you hear YOUR mom singing you Happy Birthday?” With a taken back kind of tone but believing completely, I said, “Awe, yes. Did you?” She replied, “Yes!” I said, “Did you see her?” Then my baby said, “Yes, she was by the table over there by the doorway. You know the door with the wooden round things by the table where the mom sat down with her girls.” She was describing exactly the entrance to the room we were in. So the minute she said this, I teared up and felt my mom’s presence. I now realize the calm loving feeling I felt during the singing was also her presence. This is just a sample of the many things a child may say that shouldn't be ignored. Children are connected to God very strongly and that gives them the ability to see and feel spirits and angels. I am glad I listened to my daughter that day, she made the feeling and thoughts I was having make sense. REALIZATION: When a loved one leaves this physical world, it is natural and necessary to mourn the loss and only time will heal the pain. While you are on your path to healing know that your loved one is right there with you, more now than ever before! They are watching, protecting, and guiding you. They are there at every major moment in your life and they do their best to make it known! They try to make their presence known in that random light that flickers, that feather that flew by out of nowhere, the song that came on that brings up a memory, the warmth and softness that comes over you, the high pitched ring in your ear, the papers that fell for no reason, the dream that involved them, or the fact that you think about your loved one with no prompting. Your connection to God is always there; therefore your connection to your loved ones who have passed is as well. You are never alone and if you choose to trust and have faith in the unseen world then you will experience your connection to God get stronger. Everyone has their beliefs and roles to play in this world; we could not exist without all the role players. Be as open as you feel you can, don’t condemn others, and respect their role on this planet. Much Love and Connection.  My 8 year old and My mom 2012.
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