July 19, 2008……………………………Red’s birthday
Today was another “first time without him” kind of days. I had successfully survived the first anniversary I celebrated without him having fun with friends in Key West. Now I would be having fun on his first birthday without him with a group people I had never met. That should take my attention off my tears.
As I drove to the High Springs Emporium I thought of the perfect day that led me to make the reservation to attend this afternoon’s “Rock Party.”
Several weeks ago I called my new/old friend Rose to schedule a time when we could get together.
Ever since our meeting at the séance we have called each other new/old because we know we have been together in previous lifetimes. I don’t say we believe we were together in previous lifetimes because we KNOW.
We planned on doing a trade with our healing work and when I got to her house I suggested she work on me first as I had been feeling really sad for days and didn‘t want to transfer my sadness to her. I climbed up on the massage table in her studio.
Energy work is done fully clothed, sometimes using hands touching the body, sometimes with hands sweeping the body. It all depends on how the client’s energy directs the practitioner.
Rose has been trained in both Reiki and Cranial Sacral work and after spending a few hours in Sedona last year she has not been able to separate the two practices and wanted not only to work on me but teach me what she knew.
She started by holding my feet and grounding herself asking permission from Spirit World to help heal me. She was immediately directed to my bad knee which had been giving me a bit of pain this week. Her work focuses on energetically helping the fascia in our bodies to return to its proper position. Fascia can move out of place as a result of physical accidents or emotional turmoil causing “dis” ease.
My knee went out a few years ago when I was working for my Quad-Boss. It was a very emotional time in my life. It took several acupuncture treatments and lots of Qi gong before I could walk without a cane. It occasionally flairs up but I do strengthening exercises every morning during my devotions and normally it gives me no pain. It would be nice if she could help it return to its “healthy, happy place.” I had a feeling my recent sadness was adding to the pain in my body.
After working on my knee she was directed to go up under my body; to the left cheek of my bottom. I laughed when she said, “I am not getting fresh with you. I am just going where Spirit tells me you need healing.”
“Well, you are on the spot where I have just had another outbreak of shingles so Spirit is telling you the right place to go!” I told her.
She said, “Wow, Diane. Let this go, your body is really holding on to this disease. Don’t you want the shingles to leave?”
“Absolutely, go away shingles and never return!” I commanded them.
After a few minutes of intense work she moved around the table and touched my heart center, the middle of my chest, with the fingers of her left hand and placed her right hand on the crown of my head.
I imagined Red standing in the room watching and silently asked him if he could please help Rose with her healing on me. I had been feeling an incredible amount of grief these past few weeks and had been having a hard time controlling the tears.
A few seconds after I had the vision of Red standing there and said my silent prayer for help Rose said, “OH!“ obviously startled. I knew what she was going to say but didn’t want to tell her what I had just envisioned so I simply said, “What?”
“I don’t know if I should tell you, Diane. You may think I am really nuts,” she said in a startled tone as her right hand began to move around on my head.
“Tell me, tell me. I think I know what you are going to say,” I begged for her answer.
“Well, a man just took over my right arm and is telling you that everything is ok. Everything is ok,” she said soothingly.
I began sobbing and released another layer of grief. I never imagined there would be so many layers of grief when my soul mate left this earth plane.
My youngest son, Jason, described it very well. Our lives were so intertwined it was as though we were one and the roots grew very deep. As he pulls away from me the pain feels fresh each and every time.
As soon as I was able to compose myself I told her moments before she felt a man’s presence I had asked Red, whom I believed to have been in the room, to help her with my healing. I wanted to heal, needed to heal so I could help others. She was grateful for my explanation and glad I didn’t think she was crazy.
No, even if I hadn’t asked Red to help I would not have thought she was crazy, but the fact that he had stepped in and helped and she spoke to me about it was a blessing. I know Spirit World is always trying to help us and I know Rose isn‘t crazy. The only crazy thing about any of this is why people don’t talk about these feelings more, why some people can’t even say the word death. It is important for all of us to share our stories to talk about how after their father died the TV wouldn‘t stay on when it was turned on and would turn itself on when it was shut off or how when their Mother passed she would play with the TV turning it on and off. The stories I have heard since Red’s passing have been amazing.
One thing is certain. Someday each and every one of us is going to die. Why shouldn’t we help each other understand it is simply a door to a new life? Why shouldn’t each of us as individuals try to communicate with the loved ones who have gone before us?
I don’t mean we all should go out and pay a self-proclaimed psychic hundreds of dollars to get messages. I mean we should stop, look and listen to what we think are messages and share what happens with anyone we feel compelled to share our stories with, there really is a purpose behind the messages.
After she finished her treatment on me we drank some water and I did a healing treatment on her. She, like me, is very receptive to healing treatments and was greatly energized as I ran my crystals and my hands over her body.
At one point it was too intense for her, her legs were twitching and we were releasing a lot of stuff but she asked me to stop. I wanted to command her to let it go, the way she had spoken to me concerning my shingles, but she has a lot more experience than I do. I moved on to other areas on her body and completed my treatment on her. I “cut the cord” so our energies could go back to where they belonged and we could dash over to High Springs to the Rock Emporium there. I believed there was something there I was supposed to get.
Funny, driving to the Emporium on Red’s birthday, several weeks after the visit on the treatment day at Rose’s, I know now it wasn’t for the Angel cards or the crystal I purchased that day. It was the invitation and commitment of attending today’s Rock Party. I knew it would be a great learning experience and I was certain there would be some very interesting folks there. Also, it would definitely take my mind off what I would be doing if Red were alive.
As I drove into the yard, I picked up my cell phone to shut it off. As it so frequently does when I pick it up, it rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw Red’s sister on the line. I was glad I hadn’t shut it off a few seconds sooner and answered my phone with a “Hey.”
She asked me what I was doing and I told her I was going to a luncheon. I had made the plans several weeks earlier so I would have something to take my mind off things today. I didn’t go in to detail unsure of what her thoughts would be about a “Rock Party” and with all the people gathering now in the back yard, I didn’t want to take too much time explaining. I asked her how she was doing.
“Not very well. It’s been hard today,” she couldn’t finish what she wanted to say and I told her I understood. I had had a few very difficult weeks and was glad I had something to do today. There were new people to meet here in a town I hadn’t spent much time in.
“Okay, I’ll let you go,” she said, “I really miss him.” I told her I understood and I really missed him too. It seemed like I was always trying to be the strong one. Saying everything was ok when deep down inside, it hurt like hell. My partner was gone and my life would never be the same again. Funny how when one person dies it affects so many; parents grieve, siblings grieve and spouses/partners have to start a whole new life, alone.
I grabbed my camera as I wanted to write about this outing in my “Ways to Wellness” series for the magazine. I had always been drawn to rock collecting and was beginning to learn how the stones had frequencies that called to us to help us heal. I was really looking forward to a day of learning.
The hostess of the event promised not to bore us with too many details. Apparently she could be rather longwinded in some of her talks about rocks. She had had her crew set out tables filled with honey calcite, obsidian, quartz and several dozen different stones from the earth along with a few man made varieties.
It was very hot, about 95 degrees, and we were sitting outside in a circle with very little wind. Once we were finished with learning how some stones frequencies are good for clearing problems, some were good for bringing joy and some were good for alleviating pain and grief, she asked us to help her build our first stone picture.
This one was built from crystals which had been through a fire they’d had at a different location a few years ago. Once we had created our masterpiece on the ground we all held hands and prayed to the Great Mother Earth; thanking her for her blessings and thanking her for the ability to throw our problems into the heat of the sun in the center of our creation to be reborn. Apparently, there were many people there who had been suffering and it was time to let the pain go and give thanks for all of our blessings.
After a moment of silence one woman laughed and said, “I am being directed to lead you all in a song. Remember when we were kids and would sing if you‘re happy and you know it clap your hands?”
We all joined her in an exciting rendition of a childhood song we all knew and loved. I knew the singing and laughter would raise our vibration and bring us back to a happy place.
After our song was sung we were asked to help construct another masterpiece; this time with the new stones on the carefully set tables. I had to stop and take a photo of a butterfly on a flower before I could join the group. Like the woman directed to sing the happy song, I was directed to take the photo which would be the cover for this book.
We hurriedly put together a masterpiece of stone, each of us building a section adding things here and there with the hostess saying, “There are no mistakes, just put the stones wherever you feel they belong. As soon as we finish we’ll head to the Ichetucknee River and float in her waters.”
After completing this masterpiece some people wanted to speak about what they had built. I had constructed a small section in memory of Red and a path to help him on his new life. Surprisingly I didn’t want to share my thoughts with anyone. I listened to a few of the others speak about their losses and their lives. I thanked The Universe for giving me the gift of this party on Red’s birthday. I was surrounded by people of all ages dedicated to learning about Spirit World; how it speaks to us and how the rocks can help us understand and heal. What a wonderful place to be.
We headed for the river and stopped on the way to pick up tubes to float in. I didn’t really feel like floating down the river, so I simply sat in my truck and watched the few who wanted to float grab and pay for their tubes. It was obvious, with the amount of traffic on the road there would be a lot of people floating on the river today.
We got to the river house and played in the cool, 72 degree water while we watched the group put their tubes in and prepare to float to the convergence with the Suwannee. I was getting ready to leave when the woman with the pick up truck announced she had to go back and feed her horses. She told us she was leaving and taking the truck that had transported the tubes.
I realized they would have no way to get the tubes back so I offered to stay. As they all started to float down the river I realized I had to wait a few hours until they were done before I could leave and saw there was a tube left on the dock.
“Is anyone using this tube?” I asked. “Nope,” seemed to be the general consensus. “Then I am,” I said as I grabbed it. I jumped into the water and yelled back to the few who were staying on the dock, “Could you take my stuff back up to the house. Please?” They promised they would watch over it.
As I floated down the Ichetucknee River I realized if Red were alive I would be in Key West with him. I felt a little guilty about being genuinely happy I was floating down the river with this group of healing-savvy folks.
The float took an hour longer than originally thought but it was an enjoyable time; everyone talking and leisurely floating, occasionally paddling to alter their course to avoid a fallen tree or another rafter, but, for the most part, just letting the river take us along.
We got to the end of the river just in time to rush back to the house to get my truck and return the tubes to the rental place before it closed. Once I dropped off the tubes I was off to my first “date” since Red had died. I’d met a man on an online dating service and had made arrangements to meet him at a restaurant in Alachua, where his home was located. I had gotten so many messages from Red that I should move on I decided to give the online method a try. My sister met her husband on the Internet and so had lots of other people; why not at least see if there were any interesting men in my area. Even though I knew I wasn’t ready for a real-relationship it would be fun to get out and socialize.
I walked in and sat down with the man who had waved to me when I walked through the door. I thought of how wonderful the day had been and wondered if Red approved of the fun I was having on his birthday, wondered if he was ok with my date tonight.
Literally moments after I’d thought my question I received an answer. A U-haul truck with the
biggest butterfly I’d ever seen painted on its side stopped at the traffic light outside the window. I laughed and silently thanked Spirit World for the clear message. All was good with the world. I enjoyed dinner with a stranger and drove home with a smile in my heart.
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