Yesterday we took another 5 mile long trail walk. Only this time, the parking lot was full and we had to park elsewhere (read ‘far away’) and to access the trail we had to climb up the mountain via a set of stone steps that was endless and exhausting and scary for this girl who is afraid of heights.
Not doing that again.
I had to rest a few times on the way up and, to be perfectly honest with you, I wanted to sit down and cry. I cannot tell you how steep those steps were. They seemed to go forever and I was absolutely sure we were never going to get to the top. And I was afraid I would fall.
After that, the hike was a piece of cake.
Even though I will never use those steps again, I felt a real victory in simply meeting that challenge and making it up the mountain.
Hey, at least I can say I’ve done it.
Can you see the hawks? Whenever I see hawks in the sky, I think of the lyrics from Oklahoma: “…and watch a hawk makin’ lazy circles in the sky.”
Now onto the real meat of my story.
When we got back home, I went upstairs (Don was in his studio/office/the spare room) and popped in to ask Don a question. As I turned to leave the room, I noticed that the framed photo of Mom I have on the wall in my studio was empty.
The frame and the glass were there, but no photo.
Considering the recent loss of my mother, it was a bit unsettling.
As I bent over to search for the photo, which had fallen behind a basket I keep next to the cupboard in the studio, I saw two photos there. At first, before I could see it more clearly, I thought the second photo was of some strangers. And I wondered if Grandma (who gave me the framed photo of Mom) had kept another photo behind the one of Mom.
It turns out she did, but on closer examination, I saw it was a studio portrait, not of strangers, but of my grandmother and mother, taken when Mom was a little girl. I was dumbfounded. I’ve had this framed portrait of Mom for over 30 years. Grandma used to spend hours with us looking through every photo she had of the family. I thought I had seen everything.
But no, I hadn’t. I’d never seen this photo in my life.
I literally gasped when I saw it.
Here it is.
It’s a hand-tinted, absolutely gorgeous 8 x 10 of my grandmother and my mom.
The young version of Mom looks exactly like the older version of Mom that I knew, minus the tow head. Same expression. Same tilt of the head. Such an ‘old soul’ look on her face.
Grandma is young and stylish and serene.
I immediately took a picture of the photo and emailed it to Meredith, who had also never seen it and was shocked and amazed by this discovery. (I’m going to have a copy made for her.)
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these photos fell out of the frame. I think it was a message. I was guided to see this new-to-me photo, to know that Mom is with Grandma, that she is okay. Meredith feels the same way.
Their relationship was somewhat rocky as Mom, an only child, asserted her independence from Grandma, who could be controlling, and they had their ups and downs. But they loved each other and this portrait of Mom sitting in her mother’s lap, relaxed and happy and content, tells me they are together again with none of the rancor or tension that was often a part of their relationship. Only with love.
What a gift this is!
Another little miracle. Another message from beyond.
Happy Sunday.
Claudia, What a wonderful gift to find. I think it was a message for you and to find comfort during this hard time. Enjoy your day. Doris
It has given me a great deal of comfort, Doris. Thank you. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Well done Claudia, I love the picture and you are right they are together, happy and content.
Meredith
That’s such a comforting thought.
Wow, your story gave me the chills. What an amazing find!
Amazing, indeed, Debra.
My Grandmother told me that I should be sure to check her picture frames when she was gone, because she often layered photos in them!
What a wonderful surprise to find the photo, and I think you definitely resemble your Mom! Your hike, and the photo discovery both let you know you can handle anything that comes your way.
Wise advice from your grandmother, Leslie Anne!
I have my dad’s eyes, my aunt’s freckles, but everything else is from my mom.
I wish I had your imagination.
S
xo
Just calling it as I believe it. It requires no imagination whatsoever to know that there is far more to this world and the universe than we know.
Why so bitter Sue?
what a wonderful “gift” from above!!! you were blessed!!! as for the “hawks”…i THINK they are buzzards…hawks are VERY territorial birds of prey and do not hunt in pairs or with a group…all in all..i said you had a very fruitful day!!!
They could be turkey vultures. And we have a LOT of hawks that I’ve seen riding the air currents around here, not necessarily hunting. When they come down to the trees, it’s clear that they are hawks. We did see some turkey vultures on the mountain the other day.
What a beautiful photo, Claudia, and an amazing gift that brings peace and comfort when most needed. And good for you for persevering on those scary stone steps. I’m not fond of heights either.
The steps were so scary that I wouldn’t go back down them. I left via the main entrance and Don went down the steps to fetch the car. Then he drove over to where I was to pick me up!
I definitely see you in both of them!
(Oh and I was surprised to hear Mary Stewart had died. I had no idea she was still alive! I loved her Arthurian books.)
Amazing that she lived to be 97!
I shared the story of your visits from your mom with my husband and I just told him about the photo. Just like me he was astounded. We are so happy you have been given these gifts my friend. This post has made my day.
Oh, thank you so much, Janie!
Well, I have been away for a while and slowly catching up on blog friends. How wonderful that your Mom and Grandmom sent you a message…cuz that is JUST what is it! What a gorgeous portrait and you are so lucky to have it..lucky and blessed. It is all those little things that heal the heart, isn’t it?
Congrats on your adventure to Climb Every Mountain (another play reference there for you). You did good, Claudia. Very. Very. Good! xo Diana
Thank you, Diana! It’s good to hear from you….I hope all is well, my friend.
Little miracles do happen every day~ we just need to accept them as that when they occur. So many people over or under think things and we begin to believe miracles are not to be experienced.
And you made it up that steep and slippery incline. Surely metaphorical in so many ways!!
Hope you have a great day!
I agree. Miracles happen all the time. And there is certainly more to this world than what the logical mind tells us; much, much more!
An amazing and lovely story and the photo is just gorgeous !
Thank you, Deb!
Oh, Claudia, what a beautiful gift to comfort you and Meredith during this time! Something not many people experience…It gave me chills!
Debbi
Me too, Debbi. I am very, very grateful.
How totally wonderful this is..I feel sorry for people who refuse to open their minds up to possibilities beyond the “normal”..I feel more sorry for their family members who have passed and may try to send a loving message through to them only to be dismissed as ridiculous or “imagination”..What you are experiencing is not “imagination”..but you know that in your heart..How rude of someone to ridicule your loving thoughts of your Mom and Grandma..Now..I see that pretty ladies run in your family..their dresses so stylish for back then..are those finger waves in Grandmas hair?..And many congrats on climbing up that mountain..I think that accomplishment has very significant meaning at this time in your life..Hugs
I feel sorry for them too, Nancy. I’m going to assume that the intention behind it wasn’t rude but was simply not expressed well.
I do believe those are finger waves in my grandmother’s hair and I don’t remember every seeing her with them! I love that look.
Thanks so much for watching my back, my friend.
Anytime sister..One thing I can not tolerate is deliberate rudeness..and this certainly is no time for it..In fact..anytime is no time for it..like you said it would have been better to say nothing at all..
How wonderful, a gift from above. I too received a message from my mom about a month after her passing, it was such an amazing experience. Happy for your and Meredith.
It gives us sustenance and eases our minds and hearts, Annette. I’m so glad you had a message from your mom.
How wonderful that the pics just “slipped out”! It truly is a message for you. You can now be comforted by the thought that they are together! And…what a hike you must have had….bet it felt like quite the accomplishment! Enjoy your day! ;)
It was sort of the hike from hell, Donna – at least the first part of it! But we made it, so that’s a good thing!
Claudia, I have never commented before but wanted to tell you how much I love reading your thoughts and comments. Your honesty and sincerity shine through. What an amazing gift and discovery in this photo. Also, I believe I also receive small unexpected “gifts” from my husband and son who passed away several years ago. They are just little things that make me smile and think of them. I appreciate your remarks several posts ago about your blogging. Other blogs I have enjoyed became so “commercial;” for lack of a better term, that I no longer read them. I understand those who need to make some income from their writing and certainly do not object, but it does seem to take something away from their original intent. Oh, well, change is inevitable…and often valuable in the end,
Thank you so much for commenting, Kay. It’s so nice to meet you! I have had messages from my grandfather and my brother – and my nephews had messages from my brother when they were very little. They were, in fact, quite matter a fact about it. Children don’t question that kind of thing – they just accept.
Claudia, this was such a sweet message from your Mom to you! I too believe with all my heart that there are forces greater then we know around us all the time. Loved one’s do send us messages if we are only open to receive them….and you are!
So proud of your hike and the accomplishment. I found a photo taken of me after I made a really difficult hike to some Falls! I call it my, ‘I Made It’ photo!
hugs, LInda
I should have had Don take a photo of me after I made it up those friggin’ stairs, Donna!
And you’re right – we just have to be open to receive them.
I think it´s wonderful that you have found such a lovely photo. Some years ago, as I went to do some errands, I found outside my house, resting on the way, a little photo. As I look it, I saw it wasw a photo of a group of pupils at the library of the primary school my children went. And, among them, my daughter. That happened a few years after her death.
The lady in charge of the school library lived then two houses of distance of mine. I supose she wanted to get rid of some old stuff, and so throw away papers, and the photo. But I found it amazing that this photo was there, as I went outside my home. As if expecting me.
Veronica, that story gave me chills. How absolutely extraordinary! That was meant to be – and it was definitely a gift for you from your daughter. Bless you, my friend. I’m so sorry you’ve had to suffer the loss of a beloved daughter. xo
I have grown to love your blog; indeed, it has become one of my favorites. You and I are so often on the “same page.” I find that the older I grow, the more I appreciate the simple things of life. May God bless you as you continue to do what you do so well.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Dottie. They mean a great deal to me.
That is an amazing discovery and I agree that they fell out for a reason. I also have a connection to my mom via a Christmas Cactus I rescued from her room right before she died. When it blooms I think it’s my mom saying hello.
((hugs)), Teresa :-)
And it is, Teresa. Hugs to you, too!
Claudia, you’re so lucky to have received the little messages you’ve been sent over the past weeks. Like you, I believe they are direct signs from your mom. I lost my dad in 1998 and my mom the following year, but haven’t “heard a thing.” Or at least nothing I’ve been bright enough to pick up on. I’d give anything for even the tiniest little sign. PS – Good for you tackling those steps! I would have felt the same as you, but would have gone right back down without even thinking about it.
I had a couple of messages from my brother a year or so after he died. And one from my grandfather a couple of years after he died. But I’ve not picked up on anything from my grandmother until now.
I hope you get a sign, a message, from your parents, my friend.
What a beautiful gift! I believe God sends comfort to us in a variety of ways – we just need to be open so we can receive it.
I agree, Debbie. Being open is the key.
Claudia- What a beautiful photo of your Grandmother and your child-mom! I happy that it has given you much peace. :)
Now! as to those crazy steps!
I can only associate it with my most recent trip to The State Fair of Texas last fall. The one ride I went on with my grandson– the SUPER SLIDE! Yes… a ton of steps. Winded, out of breath, scared to look over the railing; had to stop and get my breath–and I thought I was going to cry. I was scared at the beginning about the ‘slide’ down, you know? By the time I got to the top… I was more than READY…TO JUST SIT THERE AND SLIDE! In fact…I think I might have let out a ‘whoot-whoot!’ or two on the way down!
:)
glad you made it– you truly inspire me to get out and DO SOMETHING!
Pat
Good for you, Pat! It’s scary, isn’t it? But then again, now you can say YOU DID IT! xo
A lovely photograph and gift. Something similar happened to me shortly after my very down-to-earth father died. I was listening to the Incredible String Band and when they sang, “Farewell, sorrow, praise God the open door, I ain’t got no home in this world anymore” a framed article about Dad’s World War II B-17 crash and his rescue flipped off of the shelf it had been on for years. I’m my father’s very down-to-earth daughter, but am willing to agree with Mr. Shakespeare when it comes to there being more to heaven and earth than is dreamt of in our philosophies (excuse inexact memory of line).
Oh my – I love that story, Margaret. How wonderful for you!
Shakespeare was very wise, wasn’t he? I often think that if I just lived by his wise words, I’d be just fine!
Claudia, I believe that you did indeed receive a message from a loved one beyond this world. People often don’t want to share these occurrences or believe they are real because such things might contradict their belief systems. We lost our son to a very violent suicide 1 1/2 years ago. All this time I have angrily feared that he is just gone. Then, a week ago, he made his continuing existence apparent to me while I was working in my garden. I shared the story with my daughter and she told me of her afterlife experience with her brother. There is more to this world than we know.
Take comfort in the knowledge that your mother and grandmother love you still and they are ok where ever their spiritis dwell now.
Oh Carolyn, I am so very sorry about the loss of your son. I am so happy, however, that you had an experience with him in your garden. Bless you – you must take great comfort from that, my friend.
Amazing isn’t it…there is so much more to life, and the world beyond then we can comprehend. What a beautiful photo, of both of them.
Jen
Much more than we can comprehend, Jen. You’re right.
What a special blessing and comfort God gives to those who need it. He is good. Thank you so much for sharing, Claudia.
You are most welcome, Beth.
that is one of the best communication stories I have heard and I believe in that whole heartedly. Those pictures didn’t just jump out of there after all these years that was on purpose. Im so glad you got that message !
You’re so right – after all these years for them to fall that way? Meant to be. Thank you, Sue.
What a gift you received.
Here’s my story. My first few years in college, I majored in physics before writing YA novels and switching to English as my major. My physics counselor and professor, a brilliant man, was intrigued Kirlian photography at the time and investigating its possibilities. Since debunked, Kirlian photography was a photographic technique that captured electrical coronal discharges and was a precursor to the more woo-woo aural photographs. Because I was a strong student, I was invited to join in problem-solving sessions that included both professors and students. In one of those discussions, I asked him if he believed anything of a person stayed with us after that person’s death and if science could find any proof. He said that if we could take a Kirlian photograph of an empty chair and see the outline of the person who had been sitting in that chair a few minutes earlier–as was certainly possible, for at least a short period of time–he believed it possible that something of those we loved stayed with us after their deaths, too, at least for a time.
Although my professor was studying Kirlian photography at the time, I got too caught up in the tale and included an inaccuracy. The photograph of the empty chair that showed an image of the person who had already left the chair wouldn’t have been a Kirlian photograph. It would have had to have been some sort of thermography or IR photograph. That was my mistake in remembering the discussion, not his.
Fascinating, Linda! Thanks so much for sharing this information!
I believe your mom will be with you as long as you need her. She had so much love for you all that it just can’t disappear…it’s right out there waiting for you to listen and look for it.
Thank you, Eileen.
Oh, Claudia, I absolutely LOVE this post!! It sent shivers right down my spine. You know my feelings on this subject and I agree wholeheartedly that your Mom and Grandmother played a part in those photos ‘accidentally’ coming out of the frame so you could discover the hidden treasure behind the visible treasure!! Your mom and grandmother are just beautiful!
Donna
Thank you, Donna!
OH Claudia, how wonderful! I don’t think it was a coincidence at all…
Such a beautiful photo, and you were meant to find it. I think it was a very loving message to you!
I do, too, Linda.
Sweet, magical moment . . . and more to come.
Once again goose bumps on my arms and up my back when I read this! And I know you caught the spirit absolutely right when these pictures fell out of the frame. Your mom is happy and all is well in heaven!
Tana
I love this post. How wonderful that there is still mystery and magic in life. I am so happy for you to get a ‘message’ from your grandma and your mom. I have visions of you going through all your photos looking for connections to this beautiful picture. (I was glad you told me that the circling birds were hawks, after reading your story about the walk/hike, I would have guessed buzzards or vultures were waiting at the end of the climb.)
looking at the forest makes me feel i wanna be lost there and find a hero or something magical.. but after i noticed those hawks i realized i just cant be food on the ground hehe.. weird idea.. anyway the green forest is so welcoming to my eyes, its not common here in our place..
Dear Claudia, With every fiber of my being I believe this is exactly what you believe it is. With one exception, this is no “small” miracle! With tears rolling down my face, -Judy A-
Dear Claudia – it’s so nice that your Mom is still staying in touch with you. I agree that she was sending you a message. So comforting. J
The photo you found is so special! How wonderful!