MY BUTTERFLY STORY

Before my MOM died (1999) we knew she was terminal. Thankfully we had 2.5 years to prepare (but can one ever be prepared when the time comes?). 

Nine months before she died, MOM and I went to France together. We had always planned to travel together after my DAD died, who with his multiple health problems, we felt certain would go first. We had a beautiful time in France and created memories that will last my lifetime.

Shortly before we left for France, I had to put my first dog, NIKKI to sleep (almost 13). It broke my heart. She and I had had such a deep, loving connection. She taught me about communicating on a higher level, since we had 2 different Earth Languages. She also taught be about unconditional love - an "Introductory Course" that I've chosen to repeat over and over again...... now with my 7th German Shepherd Dog. My deep love for NIKKI made it terribly difficult to say goodbye. Looking back on it, I believe it was part of the "Grand Plan" to help me to prepare for saying goodbye to MOM - proving to me that life does go on after we lose a loved one.........  

FIVE MONTHS after NIKKI died, my second dog, PEPPER died suddenly from a blood cancer. FIVE MONTHS later, my MOM died. FIVE MONTHS later, my DAD was diagnosed with terminal cancer and 8 months later he passed. An emotionally charged couple of years.

PEPPER was recovering from surgery to stop some internal bleeding from earlier that month. The vet told me that she was on "borrowed time" - weeks to months. The night that she died, I was sitting on the floor in the 2nd bedroom doing some filing. PEPPER walked past the door to the room, looked in at me and walked away as I heard her say "IT'S TIME". PEPPER literally communicated that to me. I raced down the stairs to her as she was then swaying and stumbling, picked her up (70 pounds) and carried her down outdoor steps to the car (had to be "super-human strength"). She died on the way to the vet hospital.

Ok, that is all background info for my BUTTERFLY STORY........

Before my MOM died she said she would communicate with me from "the other side" but since she didn't know how it was going to work, I was to PAY ATTENTION. 

MOM died in June 1999 and I had 2 dogs at the time - CINDER and CURRY. CURRY was just a puppy - only a few weeks before she died, MOM came up with the name. The Mommy's name was SPICE so I needed a "Spice" name........ 

In early July, my 2 sisters and I were returning to Florida to help my DAD go through MOM's things. Naturally my senses and emotions were heightened. I was outside with the dogs before leaving for the airport when I saw a large, BLACK BUTTERFLY flying around them. And it kept flying and circling each dog - circling one dog and then the other. I thought about how strange it was for a butterfly to hang around for that long. That's all I was thinking at the moment, but it DID catch and hold my attention.  

On my way to the airport I broke down in tears, because it "came to me" that the BUTTERFLY was my mom's way of telling me to think of the dogs and also think of her and put two and two together - it was her way of telling me that she was united with my 2 dogs, NIKKI and PEPPER. They were all together and all was ok. What a validation of life after death! I was certain of the message and comforted.  

I do believe that our "SPIRIT" has great powers and perhaps even more so after this lifetime when we reconnect with the universal consciousness and gain greater understanding of our powers. I firmly believe that if we as humans just pay attention, listen and remain open to messages from those who have passed, they will know when we need something and will figure out a way to communicate with us. Validation that they are still with us on a higher level.

JOAN