Music playing ~ "Hello Again" (Neil Diamond)

I need to back track a moment to the last few days leading up to Shine leaving for the other side. I don't think details are necessary other than to say that she was in very bad shape. Regardless, I still believed she was going to pull through. Call it denial or whatever you want but this wasn't about denial. It was about a gut feeling I had that Shine wasn't finished with her life's work and I was worried she would run out of time. I've since learned we don't run out of time - if we can't finish it here then we finish it from over there.

For the record my online nickname among the sisters is Lil Grasshopper. No one else calls me that. The Wednesday before Shine passed on to the other side, my husband Fred erased all the voice messages on his cell phone before leaving the house for work (it was early). He no sooner got to work when he called and said Mattie had left a voice message on his cell phone and I was to call her right away. If this call had actually happened it would have come in somewhere from the time he left for work and the time he arrived, a span of about 20 minutes. So I called Mattie (it was an ungodly hour – 6:00am ) and I said to her, "What happened?" and she said, "I don’t know, why?" I said, "Didn’t you just call and leave a voice message on Fred’s phone?" Needless to say she did not!! (When I talked to Fred later I asked him about the message and he said that Mattie (or in this case the "voice") even called me Grasshopper!)

After Mattie and I hung up from this early morning phone conversation I wanted to call Fred back and tell him that Mattie had not left a message on his voice mail. At this point I had the portable phone IN MY HAND and was walking back toward the office. Now get this – we only have ONE phone line in this house for three phones and the phone in the office was ringing but the phone in the bedroom and the one IN MY HAND were NOT ringing! I looked down at the caller ID on my office phone and it said "call pickup" (which is unusual wording to begin with) and there was a woman’s voice on the other end of the phone. She said, "Your message has been sent." I slammed that phone down so quick it would make your head spin. Even though Shine was laying in a coma in the hospital in another state I believe her spirit was flitting around playing tricks on us. It wasn't so much because of the strange voice and messages but because you will never catch Cowgirl up and on the phone at 6:00am on any day of the week and Shine knows this.

  

Friday morning Chuck and I talked on the phone and then he called the doctors. We soon knew Shine would be leaving and for reasons I can’t explain, at a little after 4:00pm I was standing in the area between my dining room and living room reading the 23rd Psalm out loud. Needless to say this is not normal practice for me. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside still waters, He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." About a half hour later Mattie called to tell me Shine had left peacefully.

  

The night after Shine left for heaven I had a talk with her and I told her to please find a way to let me know she was alright and at peace with what happened. I also told her I didn't want any subtle signs, I wanted a kick butt sign so that I would be sure it was from her. Lastly I told her that I was open to her completely and then eventually I fell asleep.

(Before I go any further I want to mention that Marge was small in stature.)

The next morning Fred and I were walking the dogs and on the way home, within sight of the house, I saw a balloon stuck in the telephone wires above our back yard. It had plenty of air (helium?) in it, it was full-size and bouncing around.

I didn't give the balloon much more thought and went inside. I happened to look out the back door and noticed the balloon was now laying in our back yard, still full-size and filled with air. Fred went out to get it and came in with a strange look on his face. The balloon, which was rather worn looking as if it had been through some weather, is pink with a pink gift wrap ribbon attached (the ribbon isn't heavy enough to make the balloon drop to the ground). On the balloon is Piglet from Winnie the Pooh and he's sitting down, holding his head in his hand and smiling at a butterfly. Near the butterfly are the words , "Smallish friends are sweetest." This is vintage Shine. I believe it was her sign to me that she's doing just fine and she's at peace in her new Home. The balloon, now void of air, is in my office in full view to remind me of Shine's heavenly message.

  

There is no doubt in my mind that Shine ranks a definite high place in heaven. I believe her spirit and loving light are on a heavenly plateau watching over everyone she knows and loves. She is eternally free and whole, enjoying life on the other side and sharing giggles and good times with Meesha and all the Bridgekids. I miss my Mama Shine terribly, I was so absolutely sure she was coming home and that I’d see her again. I *will* see her but in different ways. Thank you Shine for the balloon - my questions were answered with that one balloon. Thank you for being my friend and teacher, my sister and my Mama Shine. I’ll see you soon...

Shine & Meesha ~ together again