We Are Never Alone!

 Many of you, from my photos know I was recently in Australia and New Zealand. It was a most wonderful trip, filled with family, new friends, amazing sites and adventures. I also fulfilled an intention from my Vision Board. To attend an opera at The Sydney Opera House… I saw two!!  

Early on in my trip I received a message from my sister to contact my Aunt Ellen. I asked that question “She’s not doing well, right?” No, she replied, I promised to contact her as soon as I returned. My sister did not tell me how poorly my aunt was doing, and I had missed an email saying she only had a few days.

The last few years I have been learning how to stay in the present moment and this trip was no exception.  I was enjoying every moment of everyday. My attention focused on my experience of the sights, sounds, smells, fresh air and water. There were animals and birds I have never seen and fish I had never eaten. I did not think about my Aunt Ellen until I returned home and read the email my sister had sent weeks ago.

Upon my return, I immediately called my Aunt Ellen, her daughter answered the phone.  My first question was “Is your mom still with us?”  Yes, she answered. I told her I would hop in my car and drive there that day if it was ok with her and her brother.  She replied, “She may not be with us when you get here”. Somehow, I knew intuitively that she would wait. An hour later I was in my car on the way to Chicago.

At 8:30 that evening, after just under a 500-mile drive, I was with my Aunt Ellen. She had a huge smile on her face when she greeted me. We had a wonderful visit, her sense of humor still quite alive! The next day was spent by her side, with her two children, keeping her comfortable. We would have occasional conversation but mostly just were there with her as she slept. 

My mother died when I was just 13 years old. She was a great pianist. Aunt Ellen, my dad’s sister, was like a second mother to me, a role model and someone I could really talk to. She and her husband Edwin had a beautiful relationship with my children… surrogate grandparents. They took and active role in helping me develop as a musician. By filling our lives with fun and music, I felt they were the only living relatives that understood my desire to be a musician.  

This time with my Aunt Ellen, at the end of her life was so special. She shared things with me that I had not known, and this filled my heart.  She joked that my kid’s pictures were the only ones that made her fridge because they were all musicians.  

I could sense she was now at peace and ready to go home and that it was time for me to leave as well.

She was the baby of the family and the last to go at the age of 93. As I said my final goodbye, I thanked her for waiting for me to come back from my trip, so I could see her and say goodbye and tell her how special she was to me. She lived a beautiful life and left a her special mark on the many lives she touched. I told her that her mom (who passed when she was only 3), her dad, brothers and sister were all waiting to welcome her home again. As I walked to my car I received a text from her daughter that she could see my dad, who has passed, above her son in the corner of the room. Yes, I thought they have come to bring her home. She passed peacefully the next afternoon as I was driving back to Pittsburgh.

This weekend she will be buried next to her husband, in the same cemetery as her immediate familyI am filled with gratitude!! To experience such miracles on so many dimensions!  She waited for me to have that final visit so that I could see her one last time and experience her peacefulness as she moved past this life – Miracle # 1. To have my dad visit her as she passed to lead her home – Miracle #2. Life is truly full of miracles. My experience with my aunt affirms my belief that we are not only connected here but also beyond. I will miss this dear woman, but I know that she is still with me, along with all those that have passed before her, this gives me comfort.  It is true…

WE ARE NEVER ALONE!