The year 2014 promised to be one of the best and most rewarding for my husband and me. Bill finally had retired, and we permanently had moved to The Villages, Florida, often referred to as the Disneyland for Adults.  We just had returned from a holiday in Australia and New Zealand.  A European river cruise on the Rhine, a two-week stay in Scotland, and finally a trip to Hawaii, which Bill always referred to as Paradise, were on the horizon.  Within nine months, my world suddenly imploded.  While vacationing in Hawaii, Bill suffered a stroke and never regained consciousness.  He passed away three weeks later the day after he was medevacked back to Florida.

 

The day after his passing, I noticed a cardinal pecking at my lanai window.  I never had seen cardinals out this window.  In fact, I never had noticed cardinals in Florida.  Indiana, yes, Florida no.  Why now had they suddenly appeared?  I dismissed the thought that Bill was trying to communicate but still found the idea curious, especially since cardinals were the mascot at the university from which he had recently retired.  He even had an app on his phone of cardinals chirping for use at university events.  Furthermore, some believed that cardinals were harbingers for those no longer with us.  The bird insisted on getting my attention until I finally went outside.  For a brief moment, it stared at me as if to say, “I am here,” before flying away.

 

Several days later, I painfully was reflecting on appropriate songs for the celebration of life in Indiana being planned on his birthday in a few weeks.  While adjusting the Bose system in the living room, I remembered downloading a CD years ago, “To Where You Are,” by Josh Groban.  As the music began playing, tears that had been held inside for weeks finally flowed.

 

            Who can say for certain

            Maybe you’re still here

            I feel you all around me

            Your memories so clear

            Deep in the stillness

            I can hear you speak

            You’re still an inspiration

            Can it be . ..

 

I played the song over and over and over until Celine Dion’s “I AM ALIVE” came blaring from the Bose System.  I did not touch any button on the control.  “How can that be?” I thought.  When I realized it was one of those “No other explanations,” I sprang to my feet.  Even Stevie Nicks would have been proud of my whirling dervish.  It was the message I needed and brought incredible comfort.  

 

When exhaustion won, as I collapsed onto the sofa I clearly heard, “CHECK MY EMAIL MESSAGES.”   I did not hesitate.  Retrieving Bill’s phone and remembering his password were the easy part.  Filtering through hundreds and hundreds of university emails that had been accumulating in his absence was not.  Without warning, one message began vibrating.  Based on what I had just experienced, I did not hesitate to read it.  I was stunned when I learned that Suzanne Giesemann had been trying to reach me as it was time for my reading.

 

Many months before Bill’s retirement while he was still in Indiana, I had taken a class entitled SOAR with Suzanne in The Villages.  A signup sheet was circulated for those participants who wanted a reading.  Not until the second time the clipboard circulated the room did I enter my contact information.  Because Bill and I were selling our Indiana home and permanently moving to The Villages, I used Bill’s university mail instead of my home email as I was uncertain of the cable company and resultant email.  Enough time had passed that I had completely forgotten about being on a waiting list.  The timing was uncanny.

 

Within minutes of viewing the email, I called Suzanne, who immediately checked with Sanaya, her guides in spirit, to determine whether I was ready for a reading since the passing of Bill was so recent.  (Much later in my development I gained knowledge regarding the reasons I may not have been ready.)  An affirmative response led to an appointment within a few days.  What an incredible healing experience!  During the reading, she provided a great deal of evidence about Bill and was quite aware of the love that we shared.  After her astounding reading, she encouraged me to continue developing my spiritual gifts and referred me to a group of “like-minded people” whom I contacted through a Facebook group.  This followed a reading of her book, Messages of Hope.

 

Because of the fondness expressed by Suzanne whenever she mentioned Mavis Pittilla during her SOAR class and again after reading her heart-warming recounting of her experience with Mavis at Arthur Findlay College, when Mavis came to The Villages to teach a mediumship class I quickly enrolled.  This was followed by several years of mentorship classes with Mavis and several trips to Manchester, England to participate in platform speaking in several Spiritualist churches.  When Mavis returned to The Villages to do a week-long platform workshop, I enrolled. 

 

On the very last day of class with no one left to demonstrate but me, I stood up and walked as slowly as I could towards Mavis. Her gentle smile was so welcoming and comforting.  The twinkle in her eye was unexpected for surely she could sense my trepidation as well as my inability to perform. Almost on cue, the most amazing sensation occurred.  Mavis gently touched my shoulder and ran her hand up and down my spine.  Unexpectedly, I felt so very calm and warm and confident all at the same time.  

 

I closed my eyes and immediately felt the presence of a rather stern British woman who seemed to be quite alone.  A physical description followed.  I could picture her tall windows where she was sitting comfortably in a winged back chair with a cover over her lap while her feet rested gently on a stool.  Suddenly a cat appeared from nowhere, and I wanted to sneeze as it found comfort on her lap.  A dark wooden round table was graced with a vase of flowers.  The flame of the nearby fireplace did little to warm this woman as she sipped her very special tea, the only kind she would drink. 

 

She seemed very difficult to please and very set in her ways.  Without warning my hands seemed to be moving as I sensed her playing the piano.  She was so delighted in music, which was an integral part of her life.  Sadly, it felt like one of her few pleasures.  At one time children appeared at her feet as she read to them, but they were not her own.  Although she may have been married at one time very briefly, there was no man in the scene, not even remotely.  Through the years the rest of the reading faded from my memory except that she wore pearl earrings and a necklace.  I suddenly opened my eyes and realized that this lady was Mavis’s aunt, and she was given that jewelry, which she was wearing.  Mavis looked at me and gently nodded her approval.

 

After standing silent in gratitude next to Mavis basking in her warmth and realizing what had just occurred, I looked straight ahead.  I immediately was met with the whimsical smile of Suzanne Giesemann, who was writing her tribute to Mavis, Droplets of God.  Her amusement had me totally bewildered for I just had given what I believed to be an incredible reading.  Well, at least for me.  At the first opportunity, I approached Suzanne to explore her reaction.  She gently smiled and recounted her experience with Mavis at Arthur Findlay College after the death of her stepdaughter Susan.  She had a similar experience when she also did a platform reading for Mavis connecting with her aunt, yes, the same aunt, although she provided different information.  She had written about the experience in her book, Messages of Hope. While I remember reading of the incidence, I had forgotten what she had presented. ​

​

Was this all just a coincidence?  I think not.  I believe that this was another “no other explanation (NOE).”  As a result of the chain of events that occurred after Bill’s passing beginning with the appearance of a cardinal, my choice of Josh Groban’s “To Where You Are,” Suzanne’s reading, and my experience with Mavis, I am now a practicing spiritual medium connecting with the spirit world and am providing gentle guidance to others as they navigate life’s challenges.  This journey truly began with the song, “I AM ALIVE” after one of the darkest periods in my life.  I remain in awe and am ever so grateful for  all of these “NOEs.” ​