This Happened To Me: When Dad Died Part 3

“The sign from your loved one, in itself, will not be significant. It becomes significant when you become aware of its message.”
― Angie Corbett-Kuiper

Losing a loved one affects us deeply; the passing of my father left a gaping hole in me, a hole so deep I began a lifelong quest to develop my spirituality and repair the deep hole within to restore wholeness. Dad's passing has been a bittersweet gift that has brought me to profound spiritual realisations. Through my heartfelt prayers, I have witnessed and seen miracles occur before my eyes. I am left with no doubt that we are more than a physical body. We are an energy spirit that never dies.

The Chapel of Rest
I recall the day I went to see Dad laid in his coffin at the chapel of rest. It was a surreal experience to walk into the strange little room with the coffin lid leaning up against the wall with my Dad's name engraved on the plaque. Dad lay there dressed in a dark suit, his skin like a cold stone to my touch, and cream lace draped over the top. I describe that day as walking onto a spooky fairground ghost ride, except this ghost train was real- it felt beyond weird.

Driving home, the depth of my emotions outpouring behind the wheel of my car and with music blaring through the speakers at loud volume; I had never felt such a sense of pain, loss and sadness. Next, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I sensed Dad's energy sitting next to me in the car. A tranquil peace flooded me, and I calmly managed the rest of the drive home.

A similar experience happened another time. I'm walking the dogs in the fields, and overwhelming emotions overtake me. Dropping to my knees, I cry out for help. Once again, the peace came, and an invisible hand held mine, calmly guiding me back home.

The Dream Dog
As a small child, I always wanted an Old English Sheepdog; in the UK, they are famous for the Dulux paint adverts. I can be both persistent and patient when fulfilling my dreams. This dream took Thirty-three years to come to fruition.

One evening, my husband and I were discussing our ambitions. We agreed that as we loved one another, we would never want to hold the other back from their dreams. My husband said, "I've been thinking, and I think it's time you get your dream dog."

Tatty came into my life at the right time and helped me through my healing and grief. The day I travelled to collect her from the breeder, I said, "Dad, I know you have sent me this puppy." Holding Tatty on my lap, I opened her birth certificate to see she had been born one year to the day my father had passed away. Tatty sadly died after five years, leaving us with Bobby, her puppy, affectionately named after my Dad, Bob.

Birthday Surprises
Dad died just before my fortieth birthday. I hoped he would be there to celebrate with us, but not to be. As we popped the champagne to toast the celebration, the skies opened up, and golf ball-sized hail stones fell to the ground, followed by a bright double rainbow in the sky. Cheers!

The following year as my birthday approached, I prayed to Dad to let me know if he was still around me. The very same week, we planned to take an old desk from my childhood home into a workshop for painting. The desk had a locked drawer, and nobody had the key or was able to open it. The plan had been to take the desk the day before my birthday, however the shop asked if we could take it the following day.

For my birthday, we chose the park for a picnic and decided to drop the desk off at the workshop on the way. Imagine my surprise when my husband proclaimed the desk drawer had just popped open. Inside the drawer was a four-page letter, recalling his wartime memories alongside the Winnie the Pooh book he used to read to me as a little girl. I cried tears of joy as I told my husband how much I had prayed for a sign from Dad for my birthday.

One of my regrets had been not asking Dad about his childhood memories from the war, and here were the answers I sought, that had been locked away in the desk drawer all those years until today.

Finally, a few years ago, feeling strongly guided to follow the spiritual life path, I told my husband to trust my intuition and that we were to sell everything and move to Scotland. It was a big move and decision to make. Once again, I put my prayers out and asked for help. I needed to know we were making the right choice. The next day, my son walked into the house to tell me he'd felt my father come to him the previous evening and to let me know we were making the right decision.

"When we lose our loved ones, it is painful as we miss their physical presence, yet losing my father served my growth in so many wondrous ways. I am so grateful that through his death, I found my life path" Lisa Precious

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Thank you Dad

Dedicated to Robert Congreve Crossland - 20/12/1937 - 26/11/2011