the other side
Echoes Of Love In Every Clasp And Chain
The jewelry we inherit is more valuable than it seems. A gold ring passed down from a grandmother, a locket that once rested against a mother’s pulse, or a watch that marked the minutes of a father’s days. Even after they’re gone, these objects keep on humming, full of loving memories.
It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced loss, but wearing that old ring or putting on that familiar chain feels like stepping into another time and place. And for a second, you see them.
Maybe the piece fits your ring finger or wrist a bit differently than it did theirs, but it still connects the past with the present. Their jewelry isn’t just a piece of metal or stone; it’s a fingerprint, a story, a fragment of a laugh, a favorite saying captured in something lasting you can hold.
Some days, their jewelry and other personal belongings are a source of comfort. Other days, it serves as a stark reminder of heartache and loss. Either way, it shows that love isn’t just some fleeting thing.
Love lasts in the smallest details: the things that touched their skin and caught their scent. The soft click of a clasp. The nice weight of it against your collarbone.
They say you can’t take anything with you, but maybe that’s not the point. Maybe the real magic is in what’s left behind: a ring, a pendant, or a string of pearls. Little things that are full of love keep us connected to the people who matter most, even when they’re now on the other side.
When I was a little girl, my grandma used to let me wear her fake diamond earrings. They were the only piece of her jewelry she ever let me touch. I always had to give them back when playtime was over. It felt special, like she was letting me borrow a little piece of her magic. After she passed away, my mom gave me Grandma’s earrings.
Nurturing Soul Bonds Beyond Rational Understanding
Psychology has provided us with invaluable tools for navigating life’s challenges. It helps us understand ourselves and each other, improves our communication, and builds stronger relationships. Whether we’re managing stress, boosting emotional intelligence, or making better decisions at work or at home, psychological insights guide us toward healthier, more connected lives.
However, there’s another layer to our existence that studying the mind alone can’t fully reach. While psychology breaks things down into patterns and causes, the soul deals in ongoing, heart-to-heart connections that go beyond intellectual discussion and analysis.
Psychology can explain why we feel anxious, how old wounds still affect us, and which coping strategies we tend to use. This kind of insight can spark real change.
However, understanding alone stops at the intellectual level. It doesn’t inspire the deeper truths and wisdom that make us feel truly alive and connected.
This is where ‘soul care,’ rather than analysis or therapy, offers a different path.
Rather than observing ourselves and others as case studies, soul care invites us to honor all our relationships — past, present, and future, as well as beyond this life — with warmth and continuity. It invites us to see friends, family, teachers, and deceased loved ones as conscious, eternal presences to be celebrated, not merely dissected.
From Skeptic To Mystic — My First Encounter With Spirit
In the summer of 1987, nearly a year after losing both my parents (just 23 days apart), I found myself at a mediumship event held in a Spiritualist church in Toronto.
Looking back, I can see how profoundly synchronistic the experience was. It was clearly guided by spirit.
I had never set foot in a Spiritualist church before. That very afternoon, I had lunch with a friend who casually mentioned the evening service. She couldn’t attend — she was heading out of town — but something within me stirred. Despite my skepticism, I felt an unshakable desire to go on my own.
The modest church was tucked away on the second floor of a shopping plaza above a retail store. As I climbed the steep staircase, I felt a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
The room was already crowded by the time I arrived, so I chose a seat close to the door, just in case anything bizarre or uncomfortable happened. Since I had never had a mediumship experience before, I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted an easy exit should things get too weird!
After the guest mediums were introduced, the first one stepped forward and gestured toward a man seated near the back. “May I come to you?” she asked gently. When he nodded, she remained at the front of the room and began channeling messages for him from the spirit realm.
Coping With The Loss Of A Loved One
The loss of a loved one is one of the most profound and challenging experiences we can have. Even if we have a deep spiritual belief that our loved one has crossed over into the spirit realm free of pain and suffering, the grief of their physical absence remains.
It is natural to mourn their departure, to feel the sting of their absence in our daily lives, and to struggle with the reality of a world that feels less complete without them.
For those who have lost a parent, this grief can bring an added layer of vulnerability. Regardless of our age, the loss of a mother or father can leave us feeling untethered, with a foundation in life that once provided security and guidance now shaken. Even if we have spent years caring for them through illness or decline, their passing can still leave us feeling profoundly alone.
This transition marks a significant shift, not only in our outer reality, but also in our inner identity. And yet, in the depths of grief, there is an opportunity for deep reflection, gratitude, and connection.
One of the most powerful ways to navigate grief is to focus on gratitude for the connection you shared with your loved one. Their love, wisdom, and presence shaped you in countless ways, and that influence does not disappear with their passing. Celebrate their life with vigor. Share their stories, embrace cherished memories, and allow their laughter to echo through your heart.
What Happens To Our Pets When They Cross Over
I am an animal lover. Since childhood, I have been blessed to share my heart and home with numerous cats and dogs. These beloved companions have filled my life with joy, unconditional love, and countless cherished memories.
However, as many pet owners know all too well, this deep bond also brings the inevitable heartache of loss. Saying goodbye to a furry friend is one of the most painful experiences one can face.
Through my work in energy healing and mediumship, I have gained deep insight into what happens to animals after they die. I hope to offer some comfort and understanding to those who are grieving the loss of a pet.
In my experience communicating with animals in spirit, I have found that most pets remain close to their human companions after death. This transition can last for days, weeks, or even months.
Many animal souls remain close to their former physical home, still connected to the familiar energy of their human family. For them, the concept of death is not as immediate or final as it is for us. They do not always immediately realize that they are no longer in their physical bodies.
I often encourage clients who are grieving a pet to create quiet moments in their home to become more spiritually aware. By slowing down and sitting in mindful silence, many people notice subtle signs of their deceased pet’s presence.
Clients have told me remarkable stories over the years of hearing the familiar bark or meow of their departed companion, feeling the gentle pressure of their pet curled up next to them, or hearing the sound of paws tapping on the floor. Some have even heard the jangling of their pet’s collar or the scratching at the door that they used to hear every day.
Our Pets Speak To Us In This Life And Beyond
Some of the most beautiful messages I’ve received as a medium have come from departed pets.
They bring messages of love, gratitude, and reassurance that they still walk beside their human companions in spirit. They also offer wisdom and insight into their owners’ lives from their unique perspective.
It is deeply moving to experience the enduring love of a pet from the other side. The grief of losing a pet is often unacknowledged or misunderstood, yet it is real and important to process and share.
It has been several years since we said goodbye to our beloved family dog, Lucy. She passed away in 2016, just before her 17th birthday, and I can never fully express the love and joy she brought to our lives.
By sharing how she helped me communicate with her – both in life and after her passing – I hope her story can help you feel a deeper connection with your own pets on the other side.
Lucy’s story began just before Christmas of 1999. Our trip was to buy storage boxes for an upcoming move, but instead we came home with a puppy in a box! From that day on, she burst into our lives and our hearts.
For a little dog, she lived such a full life. Wherever we went, she followed – by boat, by plane, even across continents when we moved to Dubai. She reminded us that as long as we were together, life was one big tail-wagging adventure.
From Skeptic To Believer In One Night!
As a child, I often eavesdropped on my parents’ heated arguments. Late one Saturday night, during one of these usual “ear-to-the-door” sessions, things seemed surprisingly less intense than usual. Instead of the customary shouting, I heard what sounded more like a lighthearted debate.
I could clearly hear my mother daring my father to “go with her” that Sunday night.
It wasn’t until years later that I learned the true nature of the dare. My mother had managed to persuade my father to accompany her to a spiritualist service in a London church.
To this day I am not sure how she managed to persuade him to go, but it turned out to be a life-changing experience for my father. I imagine it was also a great relief for my mother, who finally had a partner who shared her faith and passion.
Raised a Catholic and later a devout spiritualist, my mother often endured the ridicule of my father, who made fun of her faith in God and her beliefs about heaven and the afterlife.
But her dare marked the beginning of a significant change for him. While my father had never embraced organized religion or spirituality, he was about to have a profound spiritual awakening.
So, off they went. As “luck” would have it, Joseph Benjamin, a well-known spiritualist medium at the time, was one of the guest speakers at the church that weekend. My father later admitted that as he bundled up in his winter coat and scarf, he secretly hoped that he could make a quick getaway after the service and perhaps stop for a beer or two at his favorite local pub! Continue reading