HOPE

Before sharing all the pictures from our trip to Texas, I need to share something that happened before we left.

We are very close to a family that we have known for a long time…over 40 years.  The Franz family.  Melissa always called us "Franz wannabe's".  There are 11 kids in the family, multiple grandkids, great grandkids and their spouses.  And somehow we feel like we belong to this family.  We love all of them.
Donny played softball with the brothers, and I played softball with all the sisters, then nieces.  We grew into this family.  Mary (one of the sisters), is Donnys age.  Her oldest daughter, Alissa, was born eight months after Melissa.  She always said we were like her aunt and uncle…we'd been around the family since she was born.  Weddings, funerals, graduations, softball games.  We are often invited when there is a celebration in the family.

Alissa was on a waiting list for a multiple organ transplant for the last couple of years.  She finally got her turn…the surgery was the day before Father's Day.  She was an athlete and an avid sports fan…especially a Cincinnati Reds fan.  The day before the surgery, she was posting her opinions of the Reds right up to her surgery.

The surgery went well.  Her mom and dad were able to talk to her in ICU the next day.  The following day, Alissa passed away due to complications of the surgery.  She was only 36 years old.  We were devastated.

Her funeral was the following Monday and Tuesday.  When we came home from the luncheon Tuesday afternoon, Donny went down to the basement for something.  Then I heard him yelling for me to come down to the basement…

This was a reflection of light on the floor.  From the angle he was looking at it, he thought it looked like a butterfly…but from MY angle, it was definitely an angel.  We have never seen this reflection on the basement floor before…and find it very interesting that it was there the day of Alissa's burial.  

Synchronicity?  We think so.  

We love you Alissa, and hope that Melissa greeted you with that beer you have been yearning for and then gave you the grand tour of heaven!  We love you and miss you both!

***

This was definitely a week of HOPE.   We attended our first Compassionate Friends National Conference in Boston two years ago.  Donny wasn't as much interested in the conference as he was seeing Boston.  He was willing to compromise…we go to Boston for a week, and then attend the conference.   Boston was amazing, and the conference was the cherry on top.

So we went to Chicago last year for the conference.  It did not disappoint.  We met some wonderful people, heard truly amazing speakers, and went to some very helpful sessions.

This year the conference was in Dallas.  We have decided to tie our vacations into the conference.  

Flew into SanAntonio and stayed on the Riverwalk for the first two days…

View of The Alamo from our room!

Restaurant we had lunch at on the Riverwalk (on the left)

lots of waterfalls

Me by a live oak tree behind The Alamo

Boat tour on the River in San Antonio

Nighttime on the Riverwalk

Theatre 

Stage

Donny at The Alamo

The one thing Donny REALLY wanted to do was go to the top of this tower….

and he's afraid of heights.  Wouldn't go NEAR the window.  WTF?

Donny likes to dress up…he's being Davy Crockett here…

On Tuesday, we rented a car and left San Antonio for Dallas.  Went through Austin and Waco.  Texas is a pretty interesting state.  But the drive isn't much different than driving through Ohio.  Four hours from San Antonio to Dallas.  We made a stop in Arlington at ATT Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Got to check out the locker rooms too...

Did you know the cheerleaders have a locker room too?  I didn't.  Interesting thing…They have these life size pictures of each of the cheerleaders…there was a Melissa and a Courtney (our friends, Mange and Mary went to the conference with us - their daughter Courtney died of ovarian cancer).  Our other friends, Randi and Carolyn lost their son Sam.  He died in Bagdhad.  There was a Sam(antha) too.  

We are looking for signs from our kids all the time.  Had quite a few this week…pretty sure Melissa and Courtney would be laughing at the pictures.  They were both athletes and (at least Melissa) didn't consider cheerleading a sport.  

Coach Fort speaking in the Media Room…I was his audience...

the field

Going into the Miller Lite Club, right behind the sidelines.  This is where the players enter the field.

Players locker room.

From there we were on to Dallas - and the conference at the Hyatt Regency.  A stones throw from Dealey Plaza and the JFK Museum.

This is our hotel.  The view is from the School Book Depository…one window over from where Lee Harvey Oswald stood.

Checking out the book/magazine by the author who believes the assassination was a conspiracy.

We bought them..(the magazine and video).

Donny standing behind the picket fence, where some believe a second shot came from.

Donny, Mange & Randi discussing the mystery of JFK's assassination...

Donny, standing where Abraham Zapruder stood while he filmed JFK...

The School Book Depository. The square window on the sixth floor, far right was the window where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly took the shot.  The small square in the bottom right of the window is a box propped up on the window ledge, where he allegedly(?) propped his rifle. (Kind of sounds like I believe the conspiracy theory, doesn't it?  After being there, and WALKING it, just doesn't seem possible that one person could have done this.)

Mange, ready to catch Donny WHEN he falls...

Mange with the author

The "X" on the street where I am standing is where the car was when JFK was shot.

A replica of the car from the motorcade.

The grassy knoll.

I was in second grade when JFK was assassinated.  But I remember that day vividly.  And to be standing where it took place was like going through a time warp.  It was almost exactly like it was November 22, 1963.  Took the tour of the JFK museum too.  It was just the 6th floor of the Book Depository - wish I could have taken pictures there.   It was a five minute walk from our hotel.

And it got even better…a conference on grief.  Who would ever think that could be a good thing?  Probably just a bunch of sad people walking around.  

That couldn't be farther from the truth.  Oh, there were definitely a lot of hurting people there.  1500 to be exact.  Every attendee, speaker, presenter.  Every one had either lost a child, a grandchild or a sibling.  We heard so many stories…EVERYONE has a story.  Some a lot worse than others.  But the end result is the same.  We were all hurting.  Missing our children.  Our grandchildren.  Our siblings.

There were some amazing sessions-our favorite all three years was Mitch Carmody's "Whispers of Love - Signs from our loved ones", and then the sharing session that evening.  There were over 100 people there.  It was supposed to go from 9-11. We didn't get out til midnight.  Every single person had a story to share of a sign they'd gotten.  If I can remember some of them, I'll share on another post.

Me & Mitch Carmody.  Mitch's son Kelly is Melissa's age.  He died when he was eight years old - he had a brain tumor.  

Another of my favorite sessions was a panel of Siblings of various ages answer questions of parents.  One of the most difficult things after you lose a child is not forgetting that you have other children (if you are lucky enough to HAVE other children).  It's not that we forget, but we are so focused on the one we lost, it seems like we are forgetting our surviving children.  They answered very honestly and I learned a lot from them (although I thought I was doing everything right because I too am a bereaved sibling.  You just don't know HOW you will react when you lose a child)  I told Nick we need to sit down and talk.  It was eye opening for me.  

The Conference ended with the Walk to Remember and the closing ceremony with the siblings performing.  And they say it every year,  it's hard to come to your first conference, but it's harder to leave-the safety of having a place where everyone GETS IT, and all the new friends that you make.

And the old friends that you only SEE at the conferences!

Me and Venceta.  She's from Rock Hill, SC.  Met Venceta when she was sitting at the bar with a new friend we made, Patience.  Patience lost her four year old son just two months ago.  Xavier.  He died in the care of a Day Care Center.  A tragedy.  Venceta lost her two year old son, Vincent. I believe it was to SIDS.  

I met Betty-Jeanne two years ago in Boston.  I attended her session - An Avalanche of Losses. I attend her session every year.  It really helps me see the progress that I've made, or if I've taken a few steps back.  We keep in touch on FB too.

Met Maryellen in Chicago.  She was sitting behind me in a session and we started talking.  Realized we were both from Ohio.  She's from Toledo.

Donny met Mary on the first day of the Conference. She is from Las Vegas. Saw her every day then saw her on the walk!  Will see her in Scottsdale next year too.

Carolyn walking for Sam.

Donny, Mange, Randi

Donny walking for FORT & JP

Carolyn, Pam, Mary

Randi & Carolyn

The Walk to Remember

Mary walking for Courtney, Melissa & Sam

Randi, walking for Sam

Me& Donny

Mange (Curt) & Mary

Donny getting his medal from Alan Pedersen. Executive Director of TCF.

Poster from the Savannah, Ga. Chapter of TCF.

The siblings performed before the keynote speaker.  VERY emotional.

On the flight home, looked out the window…and whaddaya know…I got a HEART from Melissa!

She sends me hearts all the time.

Also could see our hotel from the plane!  It's on the middle left of the picture - next to the tall tower. Pretty cool.

And for a perfect ending to a perfect week-we get a rainbow.  

Thanks Melissa, Courtney & Sam.  You come through when we need you, and we KNOW you are always with us!  

**********

And of course I can't end a post without Andrew & Max.  It's for Melissa…

The end of a great week of Camp with their camp leaders!  Can you tell how much Max loves Andrew?

Taking Pamma's car for vacation to Hilton Head!  They had a great week and got home safely!

Nothing makes me happier.

Synchronicity

Synchronicity.  Meaningful coincidence.

Donny and I are currently reading the book Sychronicity and the Other Side-Your Meaningful Connections with the Afterlife.   If you know us very well, you know that we truly believe that Melissa is still around.  We get signs all the time.  NOT just coincidences, but MEANINGFUL coincidences.  She is a part of those coincidences.

Perfect example today.  We checked into the Hyatt in San Antonio.  Our room #?  1138.  The number 38 has special meaning to me…I believe Melissa makes sure I see that number every day.  To remind me that Nick is still here.  Don't neglect him mom.  (I know grief as a sibling too.  When my brother Steve died in 1975, I was just 18.  My mom and dad kind of went into hiding…what I NOW know is they were grieving.  Me, Donna and Sue were on our own for a while.)  

Anyway, the number 38 is important to me.  So when the girl behind the desk handed us our room keys, Donny just looked and me and said "Look.  38."

So I told the girl behind the desk that that number was important to me.  And I told her a little about Melissa.  She looked at me and said "I lost my son too.  He was 3."  And she started crying.  Hasn't even been a year yet.

Melissa does this all the time…she connects with other bereaved parents.  When we were in California back in the fall, it happened there too.  While we were standing in line for the Ellen Show.  Talking to the woman who was standing next to us in line.  She was wearing a teal colored bracelet.  I asked her if it was for someone with ovarian cancer (since we wear one for Courtney Clifford).  Nope.  it was for HER son who died.  We had a pretty lengthy conversation with her that day.

We believe that Melissa (and their children) put us together for a reason.  We understand each other.

We are here for a couple of days and are heading to Dallas for the Compassionate Friends Conference later in the week.  Looking forward to sharing this story and making more new friends.  

More later … and photos too.

Mother's Day

It was Mother's Day for Melissa yesterday too…and as much as I wish they were BOTH here, they were celebrating together.  

I often think back to when my brother Steve died.  I really don't know how my mom (or dad) did it.  It was like my brother never existed.  It was obviously too hard for my mom to talk about, so she NEVER talked about Steve.  She couldn't look at pictures either.  What I know now is she suffered in silence.  That was always my mom's way of dealing with things.  She was very private about everything in her life - politics, finances, family.  

I idolized my mom.  I wanted to be just like her.  In a lot of ways, I was.  She was Class Treasurer in high school, I was class treasurer in high school.  She was a writer, a list maker.  Very organized. And a clean freak (although you look at my house now, you'd never know it.)  

The one way we were different was in how we dealt with situations.  I NEED to talk.   I do hold things in a lot, like how I am really feeling about losing Melissa.  But I talk about her.  A lot.  As everyone who has ever met me knows.  It's my way of keeping her alive.

And on days like Mother's Day, when everyone is posting pictures of having lunch with their daughters (I notice those the most), and the nice things daughter's post about their mom's…all I have is everything I ever saved from Melissa.  Which was everything she ever wrote.  Pretty much.

So what I have is nothing new.  I'll never have another picture of Melissa.  So I dig through my photos and try to find something "new"…and on Mother's Day, and Valentines Day, and my birthday, I read all those cards I saved.  And I pretend that I just got it for THAT day.  

One thing she wrote for a creative writing class in high school particularly touched my heart.  I had it framed with one of my favorite pictures of me and Melissa.  Funny story behind the story…I think it was her junior year.  She had a project where she had to write multiple poems.  Melissa was a procrastinator (she got that honestly too)…and to be honest, she always felt like she did her best work at the last minute.  This particular project was a portfolio of poems.  She got an A on the project.  The day she got it back she had a basketball game.  Right before the game started, she came over to me and handed me the portfolio.  I sat in the stands and read the entire thing.  I was amazed.  And crying.

This was my favorite: (written exactly as she wrote it)

My mom likes to make me feel good

Yeah it's an over-used topic,

       It's sappy, it's sickening, it's dumb,

But man, oh, man if you knew my mom,

God, you'd love her

First of all, she's beautiful.

             she's skinny but she thinks she's fat

My dad's totally in love with her too.  sometimes it grosses me out

             they know it and try to gross me out

"Let's french kiss" my dad would say, right in front of me

             I usually scream cause it's not a pleasant thought

but sorta it is

           My dad and I were talking once about all of our family friends who were getting

divorces

          and he looked at me and he said

"man, you really gotta love someone to death to marry them"

                        sometimes my dad annoys me and I totally ignore him

but, God, that really stuck.  My mom is just naturally lovable

everybody loves her

            sometimes I piss her off and she goes crazy

                       but we usually resolve our fights by a simple trip to the mall

she's my best friend

          I don't have to bullshit with her any more because I finally came to the realization

that there wasn't a thing she didn't know about me (well, maybe a couple of things)

            I don't know what I'm gonna do in college

                       probably run back home after the first week because I miss her 

                                   so much

When I was little she used to come in my room and tuck me in

              (my dad tried once, but he just took my comforter and stuffed it under my mattress

so I couldn't move)

anyway, she'd say "Good night pretty girl."

every night for as long as I can remember

                      I told her about that the other day and whadda ya know

she started doing it again!

           I think it was because I told her how good it made me feel

My mom likes to make me feel good.

***

wow…makes me cry every time I read it.  But there you go.  It's all I have (except for several other cards from other holidays)…and I am so thankful I saved them.  

So when I read all the posts from daughters of my friends, and how wonderful their mothers are (which I know is true too!), I know my daughter felt the same way about me.  I got a gift from Melissa too.

That's how I get through Mother's Day.  And Donny and Nick are always good to me too.  Nick visited and brought me breakfast in the morning-we had a nice visit…then we visited Melissa & JP, then my mom, and Donny took me to the casino (mindless entertainment when I need it!) and he won big!   Then he made a great dinner and took me for ice cream.  

My seventh Mother's Day without her.  And it still seems like yesterday.

We started Mother's Day early - on Saturday we took Roz (Donny's mom) to breakfast and took her to the casino too (we had a great time - I'm guessing she's going to want to go back!), then to the boys baseball game.  Over 50 years of watching her kids, grandkids and great grandkids play sports.  She's not slowing down either.  

Andrew catching!

FORT 5K

Haven't posted anything about the 5K - although I did post most of the pictures on FB.  It gets better every year…by about 50 people!  Might have been even better this year if the weather had been better, but we were very happy with the turnout.  Almost 200 people this year.   Lacy Romine and the girls basketball team (and the parents group!) did a great job organizing the event and getting door prizes and raffle prizes.  

We had some VIP's there too…Cheryl McHenry, the anchor for Channel 7  (who happens to be a friend of mine) and Jeff Rezabek, State Representative for Ohio were there.  Cheryl was our emcee and Jeff participated.  

Businesses that sponsored the event - and it was in memory of Melissa (FORT)

Sam Pearson (son of Randi & Carolyn)

Courtney Clifford (daughter of Mange & Mary)

and Kristen Ream (daughter of Dennis & Susan Ream)

all friends of ours.

Gordon Gough, a good friend of Melissa's from high school, made a substantial contribution, along with Harry from Irongate Realty & Jim from Farmer's Insurance, who also made substantial contributions.  

The proceeds will benefit the girls basketball program - don't have the final tally yet, but it's better than last year.  We are so pleased that Melissa's legacy is helping her alma mater that she loved so much.

She would be happy, I know.

Registration

 me, my good friends from St. Helen - Marianne (Cagnetti) Brescia & Cheryl McHenry

 The start AND finish of the race

Cheryl, our emcee and Donny

Max coming in the home stretch!

Melissa's high school friend Laura & Jeff Rezabek (State Representative!)

Uncle Mike with Andrew, and Scott Franz - and as always, the Franz family was well represented!

Volunteering AND participating!

 My best friend from high school, Marla Duke, Patsy (her brother Greg was MY brother Steve's best friend in high school!) and Jean Carson, another friend from Wilbur Wright

Tammy Rado, Larry & Deb Ryan (both in our wedding) Donny, Marianne, 

Andrew and Danny (cousin Leanne's youngest!)

Nick & Kristen Schulte, daughter of my good friend from WW, Jim Schulte.

Kristen placed first for women.  Talented, just like the rest of the Schulte family!

***

This is Max's spring school picture…love this one!

(two school pictures in a year?  crazy.  But I love it anyway!)

***

And this is a perfect ending for this post.  I was taking my 

4 mile walk a couple of weeks ago and was having

a discussing with Melissa.  Again.  I needed a sign,

and I got one!  See the heart?  I just happened to have

my phone with me.  

Love you Melissa 

<3 p="">

Horrible Mom?

After reading the article about "Horrible Moms" and Crystals comment on the article, I had to read it.  When I read the stories of the moms and the horrible things they did…I thought of ME.

We are not perfect.  Sometimes we make bad choices for our kids…and I realize that sometimes "it takes a village" to raise our kids.  But sometimes I think "the village" needs to let parents take care of their kids, without intervention.

When Nick was about five or six years old (don't exactly remember how old he was) - we took him to the Centerville/Carroll basketball game at Carroll.  Carroll high school's gym is not very big - so they put bleachers on the stage for overflow.  We were at the game because Donny's cousin played for Centerville.

By the time we got there, there were only seats left on the stage, so that's where we headed.  Donny wanted to stop to talk to his Aunt and Uncle in the bleachers on the other side, so Nick & I went to get our seats on the stage.  We sat with Donny's dad and mom.

Nick had NO interest in the game.  There were several kids playing under the bleachers (OK, right here, I shouldn't have approved, but I did).  I wanted to watch the game, and he was with a bunch of other kids.  Somehow, and only God knows how, Nick got his head stuck under the bottom row.  Maybe he was trying to get something that rolled under the bleachers…I don't know.  I just remember Donny's dad going under the bleachers and pulling on Nick's legs, trying to get him out…Nick was screaming his ear was stuck - he was going to rip his ear off if he continued.

Donny's dad proceeded to go around the bleachers and started screaming "EVERYBODY OFF THE BLEACHERS!!!"  So everyone is scrambling to get off the bleachers (so he could lift up the bottom row of seats so he could pull Nick's head out)…all the while the basketball game is going on.

Everyone (including Donny) in the bleachers on the other side are going "What in the heck is going on over there???"

Nick was safely pulled from under the bleachers, only for some woman sitting a few rows behind me commenting…"HE SHOULDN'T  HAVE BEEN UNDER THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE."

No duh.  Like I didn't feel bad enough.  I didn't say it at the time, but I thought "Wow.  you must not have kids."

How many times have we made decisions and felt guilty for decisions that we made.  I felt stupid for letting him play, and maybe it was the wrong decision.  But I didn't need someone to remind me.  I tend to learn from those decisions.

I'm pretty sure my parents didn't give a darn what other parents thought about their parenting.  Which by the way, was much like the rest of the parents in the 50's-60's - "get out and play"… and kids played.  Without parent interference.  Parents didn't pick teams for our kickball games.  I never saw a parent outside.  We played and we were home in time for lunch, then back outside until dinner.  The only time I remember watching TV was on Saturday mornings - cartoons.  It was a pretty good life.

I loved the way the article ended - with the woman who intervened ONLY TO LEND A HELPING HAND.  That's the person I want to be.  Because I've been there.

I guess in a way, it was the same way with Melissa.   Did she get cancer because of what she ate growing up?  (the puzzle just went off…I think she's telling me NO MOM. IT WASN'T WHAT I ATE)…but as parents we tend to feel guilty when bad things happen to our kids.  Sometimes we have no control, and other times we make split second decisions that might look bad to someone else, but in the moment, seem harmless.  I don't think I ever left my kids in the car to run into a store, but my kids were never in a car seat.  In fact, I remember putting Nick in a punkin' seat on the front seat of the car.  I think he even rolled off the seat once when I had to stop quickly.  THANK GOD no one saw that.  Was I a horrible mother for any of these things?  I really don't think so.

It's hard to be a parent these days with so many cameras rolling and people watching your every move.
Maybe parenting classes would be a good idea in high schools…just another responsibility for teachers…

And that's a story for another day.

A dream come true!

I don't even know where to start…

So I'll start at the beginning.  A couple of months ago Alecia Derrickson posted on FB that Teresa Caputo was coming to Nutter Center in Dayton.   (Alecia's son Bradley was a friend of Nick's in middle school.  Bradley was struck by lightening the day after his birthday and died four days later. The 20 year anniversary was yesterday-I was really hoping she would get a reading too!)

Donny and I have been watching her show - The Long Island Medium for a couple of years, and I really wanted to go.  So I joined her fan club so I could get tickets before they went on sale to the general public - ended up getting pretty good seats.  They weren't on the floor, but the first row off the floor - right on the aisle.  GREAT seats actually.

After about a 20 minute intro, she came into the audience and started doing readings.  She asked "who lost a child in a car accident and has a piece of the car?"  A family to our left and up several rows came down and were standing to our left on the steps.    She came our way and stood right in front of me and Jennifer!

After she talked to that family, she said "who has a thumbprint necklace?"  I was close enough that I didn't need to get her attention - I just said "I do".  

I don't actually remember the sequence of the questions she asked (thank God my sister in law and brother in law were there - when we met up with them afterward, Jan filled me in on what I missed!)

She said something about the military, and my friend Jennifer kind of whispered to me "that could be Larry" (her brother who passed away)…but she didn't want to speak up.

Teresa said something about "a mother who passed?
I can' t remember how or why I told her my grandson and brother passed also -
She said "what does the #5 mean to you?  Or the month of May (5th month)

…I've been to a medium several times.  Every time I go it's for 1/2 hour.  He'll say a lot of things or ask questions that I just can't figure out what he's talking about - until I get home and listen to the CD.  Then Donny is listening and says "this is what he's talking about!"    Sometimes you just can't think as fast as they ask questions.

Like the #5.  Melissa's birthday is the 5th of January.  But all I could think of was my mom's birthday is in May.  Ok.  It's your mom…but she could tell that it wasn't my mom that I wanted to come through…she even said that.  She goes "sometimes the ones you want to come through don't come through."

Then she said "I'm feeling like there was something with the chest - like fluid" ( When Melissa was in the hospital she had fluid around her lungs because of the cancer in her lungs)…then I told her "that's my daughter"… and she said "you lost your Mother, your daughter, your brother and your grandson?"
Yes.  She said "your mom is taking care of all of them."

She also said "you have something of hers…a purse, a backpack, something like that, it still has everything in it…"  I have the fanny pack that she used when we did the 3 day walk in Atlanta…it still has all her pins on it and all the stuff she put in it for the walk.   I have one just like it and I still have mine too.  I think I carried hers in the first walk I did without her in 2009.  I don't have her purse though….

My sister in law said (she also said something about a fireman - Melissa's grandpa was a fireman and she said something about Freebird.  Jan thinks Melissa was saying FIREBIRD NOT FREEBIRD!)
She probably was!!!!  Teresa just didn't know what a Firebird was!

The other thing - as she was walking away from me, she turned around and said "Do butterflies mean anything to you?"

Um…YES.

I'm pretty happy.

On the way home, Jan texted me and said "Guess what song is on the radio????"
She didn't even tell me.  I knew…

VIVA LA VIDA.  Melissa was there.

But she stepped back and let my mom come through.  Interesting thing too…my mom passed away May 20, 2007.  I had two dreams about my mom in the last week…first time since she passed away. I think she was letting me know she was going to be there.  And the other thing - every time I go to Thomas Windlow (the medium I go to) he says "Your mom wants to know why you don't talk to her.  You need to talk to your mom more."  or "your mom wants to know why you don't ask about her?"

I'm working on that.  My mom and I had unfinished business.  I never got to ask her HOW IN THE WORLD do you live without one of your children?  (because she lost a child too - my brother)…my mom died about a year and a half before Melissa, and I never thought to ask her.  Because I didn't want to think about losing my daughter…

Another interesting thing happened when we first got there.  Right when we walked in the door, I saw someone that looked VERY familiar…and if you know me, I am at the point in my life where I don't just sit back and wonder where I know them from, I ask.  So I went up to this girl (who was standing with two other people) and I said "Did you go to Moraine Meadows?" (the school where I worked), and she said "No. I went to Centerville."  My response to her was "then you have a twin"…she looked at me kind of funny and said "I do.  She's right here" and pointed to the girl standing next to her…who looked NOTHING like her.  (she had dark hair, her twin had blonde hair).  As Jennifer and I walked away, I was trying to think of who she looked like…and it hit me.  She looked JUST LIKE Sunday Coffee, one of my former students from Moraine Meadows…who passed away a couple of years ago.  Weird.  Really weird.

During the show, as Teresa walked around the arena, several cameras followed her around - if you got a reading, you were on the big screen on the stage - you could see Teresa and the people that were getting readings.   Another one of my former students (Donnie Phelps) was there too - and found me afterward to tell me that "when she said something about the butterflies I KNEW it was your daughter!

So anyway, I'd say I got my money's worth tonight.  Whether or not you believe, or you are skeptical, my feeling is, if it gets me through another day…that's all that matters.

I KNOW she comes through - and I'm beginning to realize I need to talk to my mom more too.

One more thing…she talked a little about her fan club.  Once the fan club started making money, she turns it around and gives it back to people in her fan club in the form of trips, and gift cards and readings among other things.

Also, a reading from her is $150 (I think - maybe $175) and if you have a group reading, it's $50 per person.  All that money goes to charity.  One of the charities it Wounded Warriors.

Might take a year or so, but if anyone would be interested, I'd schedule a group reading.  Let me know!