Angel Standing By - Jewell song

I think this is a lovely song.  Bless all of our angels.   Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61XkGntxMdY

The symbol of rebirth and resurrection

In April we had a lovely water garden built in our backyard.  (See my April 2012 posts for some pictures and explanations.)  Included with the water garden were several aquatic plants.  I didn't know what they all were; they were chosen by the water garden designer.  It turns out that one of the plants is a beautiful white calla lily.  It blossomed this past week.  I was curious about the symbolism of calla lilies.  I looked up the meaning of this flower and discovered that it represents rebirth and resurrection.  That's why they are often used in weddings and funerals.  White represents purity.  I don't believe that it was a coincidence for the calla lily to be included as a part of our water garden.  I am so pleased to have this special flower as a part of our memorial water garden for Graham.  I believe that it was meant to be, a message from my son. It inspired this poem.

Calla Lily

A trumpet shaped calla lily tall and upright,
Majestic and lovely in the morning light,
Heralding a message of victory and rebirth,
Resurrection and faith from fertile earth.

White, the color of angels and divine purity,
Holiness and Mary and sympathy,
Beauty and comfort that inspires and uplifts,
One of nature’s most beautiful gifts.

A balloon message

These last several weeks seem to have been a time of a lot of signs and messages!  I am so grateful. Here is the latest one I feel I received. 

Last week I went to a party store looking for some birthday balloons for my mother's birthday. While I was there looking at all the balloons to choose from on the store's display wall, I saw this heart-shaped balloon that said - Love Always and Forever! I felt that it was another always and forever sign from my son, Graham. I had to go back today and take a picture of it to share with everyone.

A never alone song and message

I clicked on this music video shared by a Facebook friend this morning to listen to.  The song is "Never Alone" by Lady Antebellum.  It is such a beautiful song.  The message is wonderful.  As I was listening I walked into my kitchen and saw my phone turn itself on!  I know it was my son validating the message in the song - never alone.  I am so grateful for Graham's signs and messages.  They bring so much comfort and reassurance of our eternal connection. That means everything to me.  Our loved ones are always with us.  Thank you, Graham.  I love you.

Never Alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pXrMPtCVcE

A Rainbow message

A few days ago while I was driving I noticed the license plate on the car in front of me because it was a rainbow!  The above license plate is a sample of the one I saw.  I have never seen a rainbow license plate before.  I live in Virginia.  This was a Hawaii state license plate.  I feel like I have received many messages involving rainbows over the last few years.  Rainbows have a lot of special spiritual meanings, the primary one being promise.  Here is an earlier post with my poem, "Rainbow's Promise," and some other rainbow related messages.

http://amotherstears.blogspot.com/2010/04/rainbows-promise.html

"A Mother's Love" by Jim Brickman

This is a beautiful song I would like to share.  A mother and her child are forever entwined.

htthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3BrcqoSqMQp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3BrcqoSqMQ

I Am Not A Stranger There Anymore

A dear friend of mine, Vivian West, wrote this poem.  The title of this poem came to Vivian during a discussion we were having.  I had just said that what I wanted most in this world since my son died was to be connected with the "other side."  Vivian said that a part of me is on the other side, that a part of me followed Graham to Heaven, that I am not a stranger there.  As soon as Vivian said these words, she felt they were a message for me.  A few days later she wrote this poem.  She says that she takes no ownership of this poem.  She knows that my son was the one who gave her the words for me.  Vivian writes poetry too, but this poem is not written in her style.  This poem is in my style of writing.  I believe this was a beautiful way that Graham used to validate the discussion Vivian and I were having.  This is so amazing and comforting to me. There is no greater power than love.

When you left this life for the other side,
There was so much in me that also died,
My heart followed you to Heaven’s door,
I am not a stranger there anymore.

I look for you in every evening sky,
Wondering how it looks to you from on high,
Dance with me among the stars galore,
I am not a stranger there anymore.

Staying connected to you with the passing of time,
My soul understands life’s rhythm and rhyme,
Bonded by love to the child I bore,
I am not a stranger there anymore.

When the journey is over and the time is ours,
And we meet together in a meadow of flowers,
Surrounded by glory never seen before,
I will not be a stranger there anymore.

Vivian West

For Claire Ann Stevenson
Thank you, Graham.

Spirit Essence

A few weeks ago we had this lovely water garden constructed in a very special area of our backyard.  Graham was the one who originally made this area into a garden for us, laying down weed cloth and gravel and planting some of the bushes and flowers - this earlier post shows him at work - http://amotherstears.blogspot.com/2010/05/with-us-in-spirit.html.  Four months after doing this he died in a tragic accident.  This area then became his memorial garden.

When the water garden was finished, we were taking pictures of it and this one had a glowing white and orange form for which we have no "normal" explanation.  There was nothing reflective in that area, no light source there, and the sky was overcast so it couldn't be lens flare.  I believe that it is pure energy, my son's spirit essence.  Graham shows us in many different ways that death does not end our relationship with loved ones.  Our loved ones in spirit remain with us always, because love and spirit never die.

Eternal Bonds

My soul screamed when I learned you were dead,

My body felt like it had been bled,

Life as I knew it no longer applied,

Everything changed the day you died.

What is my direction, where do I go?

There is so much that I don’t know,

I long to fly, to swoop and to soar,

Beyond this world up to heaven’s door.

I am listening, and working to see,

What is within divine possibility,

Death cannot sever our eternal bond,

Love is forever and will keep me going on.

Graham's Memorial Water Garden

Five years ago Graham did a lot of work for my husband and me in a section of our back yard.  A few months later this section of our yard became Graham's memorial garden.  I posted pictures of Graham and a poem that I wrote about this earlier on this blog -
http://amotherstears.blogspot.com/2010/05/with-us-in-spirit.html

Last week Graham's memorial garden became even more special.  We had it transformed into a beautiful water garden with the addition of two lovely waterfalls and a koi pond.  The azalea bushes, day lilies, and phlox that were originally planted are all still there, they were just rearranged.  We are delighted with this water feature!  Graham always thought a pond would be nice to have in our yard.  He also liked the idea of having koi fish.  What a wonderful, healing connection this is with Graham.  It is an oasis of solace for us.

The Honey Trees - Love and Loss

This is a poignantly beautiful song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2k2nvD0VmA

We had our house built and moved to Fredericksburg in April of 2005, 7 years ago. One of the first things that Graham did when we moved in was to plant several of his apple trees in our back yard. As part of a Biology class project his senior year in high school Graham had to grow something. He decided to plant the seeds from an apple that he ate for this project. Graham took care of these seeds in the Biology lab at his high school. Amazingly, they grew. They looked like twigs when he brought them home at the end of the year. They stayed in pots for the following year until we moved to our new home. This is a picture of Graham in April of 2007 pruning one of his trees. The trees had never bloomed. Graham died 5 months after this picture was taken. The following spring his apple trees had blossoms for the first time! Now it is April 2012. Look at this same tree now. It is 8-10 feet tall and covered with blooms! Who could have realized what a precious gift these trees would turn out to be? Thank you, Graham. You are always with us. We love you.

I Hear You

I Hear You

I can hear you in silence,

Or in confusion and noise,

I hear you now and forever,

In life’s tragedies and joys.

I listen for you always,

 Although I cannot see,

Your physical self as before,

When you were here with me.

You speak to me in whispers,

In thoughts that cross my mind,

Or in flashes of inspiration,

With words that flow and rhyme.

Your signs and validations,

The messages I receive,

Ignite my creative energies,

And help me as I grieve.

Love is never ending,

Our bodies are only form,

You are teaching this important lesson,

For those of us who mourn.

With your partnership in spirit,

I am finding solace for my pain,

Love is always the answer,

 The destination for us to aim.

You are a blessing beyond measure,

My treasured son and friend,

You show that crossing over,

Does not mean a relationship ends.

Love is like a circle,

In joy we both will fly,

We are bonded forever,

Because a soul can never die.

Message From My Computer

 This is a write up I did a few days ago for the Facebook group "Signs From Our Loved Ones" - https://www.facebook.com/groups/223805824358789/.  This is a very helpful, supportive group for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

Wow! I believe that I just had another wonderful message from my son, Graham.  This time it was on my computer!   It brought me to tears.  Graham's birthday is tomorrow.  I am so grateful, especially at this bittersweet time, that he is showing his continued presence and love in my life.   I double clicked on my computer to wake it up and this picture is what appeared on the screen from the Angels Across the USA Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/angelsacrosstheusa.  This design is made of pictures of Graham for a slide show that Angels Across the USA is presenting during their 2012 tour events. I wasn't on their Facebook page today, and would have had to search for their page and then search for Graham's slide among the many they have there to find it.  I am amazed. What a wonderful gift!