Bound by Love

My neighbor Norma lived for her three grown children and her love for them was paramount. Her daughter Deandra was 27 when doctors found a large mass on one of her ovaries. She was quickly diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer. She faced her challenge with courage, determination, and optimism. After a three-year fight, Deandra’s passing stood as a testament to love of family and friends, faith, and the strength of the spirit when faced with the fragility of the human body.

Norma’s biggest challenge came after Deandra’s passing, that of battling grief. Knowing her capacity to love, I wondered if Norma would be able to survive the heartbreak of losing her firstborn.

Shortly after that, Norma moved across town, and we lost touch. Seven years after Deandra’s passing. Norma and I met for tea. Still carrying heartache, Norma spoke of Deandra and her loss. Norma was unable to move on from that painful time in her life. Somehow, by holding onto the death scene and the anguish of losing her daughter, Norma felt she was holding onto Deandra. I shared about reading energy, life after life, and connecting with loved ones who passed away.

In an energy reading session, I connected with Deandra in the spiritual realm. I saw her in a white gown, happy and fulfilled in the Cathedral of Souls, the residential equivalent of the afterlife. She was cradling a baby soul in her arms. I delicately asked Norma if she or anyone in her family had ever lost a baby. Indeed, Norma’s niece had miscarried on Deandra’s birthday. Norma believed that Deandra was holding this much-grieved baby.

I saw Deandra in spirit working, playing and dancing with children souls. She wanted Norma to know that while Deandra did not raise children herself, she learned how to care for these soul children through Norma’s modeling. Norma’s passionate dedication, unwavering love, and enjoyment of her children were passed on through Deandra, and being put to use in the spirit realm.

I heard music: breathtakingly beautiful sounds, instruments, and singing. It was otherworldly music, and I struggled to find the right words while describing it to Norma. I could only equate it to being in the presence of angels.

Deandra appeared in spirit sitting next to her mother, her face inches from Norma’s ear. Deandra lovingly implored her.

“Mom, stop living in the past! Stop crying and watching me die over and over. My life was so much more than that, and I’m not that person anymore. I’m not dead. Talk to me! I can hear you! Don’t miss out on this time with me.”

Deandra then leaned over and kissed her mother on the cheek. Tears flowed as I shared Deandra’s message.

Norma was comforted knowing that Deandra’s soul was still vibrant, happy, able to love and be loved. Working with my Akashic Record Keeper and Norma’s, we updated her karmic relationship to see Deandra alive in spirit, still able to connect with loved ones, and having a purpose and a role in her spirit community.

Sensing that Norma did not know how to relate with her in the spirit realm, Deandra added, “You can learn about angels. You can teach children about angels and show them that they don’t have to be afraid when they go to bed at night.”

I was shown a vision of Norma making sugar cookies shaped like angels, and her talking to Deandra while she was rolling dough. An avid baker, Norma could use this time to speak to Deandra and know that she was being heard. I saw Norma writing and illustrating a children’s book about angels. Norma could be involved in the same passion and purpose as Deandra. They could still have shared experiences together, one in the physical realm and the other in the spiritual realm. Norma saw that she could continue to put love, energy, and intention toward her daughter, but now it was for Deandra’s life in the spiritual realm.

Part of Norma’s soul calling and purpose in life was to be a loving mother. That gave her more joy and purpose than anything else. When Deandra passed, did that mean that Norma’s calling was complete? Did that mean that she was supposed to stop loving Deandra? No, I don’t think so. When a child dies, whether as a young child or as an adult, love does not die with the body. But it is so difficult knowing what to do with that love and how to keep it alive.

Those of us who are open to understanding energy, the afterlife, and the spiritual realm have an added advantage. We know that everything, and everyone, is made of energy and that our souls continue after the death of the body. There is life after life. Love binds us in life and in death. It can be within a mother’s capabilities to love her children and to
connect with them in current time, with updated relationships, even if their child is no longer in a body.

Following advice from her loving daughter, Norma’s connection with Deandra grew. Norma and her husband manage the hair salon that Deandra lovingly created. In addition, they opened a second salon in Deandra’s memory. Of course, she still misses Deandra terribly, but she knows that Deandra is within reach, a beautiful soul and spirit whose love and life live on.