KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

by Sheila Burke

Did you ever have one of those moments when you find an answer in just the right moment in time? That happened to me today. Last month, my husband and I opened a thrift/antique store. It's a side business in a small building we have been unable to sell in the down economy. The building has been and is currently inhabited by the previous owner's spirit. His name was Mike. Chairs move, footsteps are heard, swings swing all by themselves at a steady pace for almost an hour, and the little boy that lived upstairs had an invisible older playmate that occupied much of his time. Mike used to run a music studio and give lessons. In fact, while renovating, an old guitar fell from the drop ceiling right smack onto my head!

Business was slow when we first opened the thrift store, and once we said, Hey Mike, can you drive some customers in here so we can keep the lights on? Within 30 seconds, a steady stream of people came in making purchases. Since we've opened, we've had a little sign taped to the cash register that says, Ask Mike to send customers and thank him. We also talk to him every day we are there. We say, Good Morning, Mike, How ya doin’, Mike, things like that.

Anyhow, I am generally the one who works the store four days a week. This is in addition to running our mainstay business (a window cleaning company), working on my zen Facebook page, blogging and most importantly – taking care of my family and house. It's quite exhausting sometimes, but bringing in a little extra income is a must these days.

I came home yesterday afternoon thinking, Do I really want to do this anymore? I even told a friend just this morning that I feel like I've got my hands in too many things, and I'm unable to give my full attention to any of them. So I dragged myself down to the store this morning and pulled up the window blinds for my five-hour stint. I took a book off the bookshelf of dollar books and plopped down in my chair. I still contemplated in the back of my mind if I wanted to continue this venture or not.

People trickled in and out and I made two small sales, not enough to pay for the electricity for the day. A nice lady came in wanting to purchase a bunch of old 78s for a Victrola, but she didn't have enough cash, so I went against my own policy and accepted a check. An older man popped his head in the door and asked if we buy things. I told him not generally (you should see what people want to sell you sometimes), but I'd take a look, all the while thinking that all I had was $20 in the register and a check that I wasn't even sure was good!

Well, I ended up buying an old camera and three old railroad lanterns from him for the $20. Two of the lanterns were a hot rusty mess, but one was in okay shape. Now, I can strike up a conversation anywhere, and this guy was looking for someone to unload his life story on, so we began an hour-long conversation. We laughed about life, we talked politics and religion, and he told me stories of his days as a Navy Seal in Vietnam. He slowly pulled down his sock and showed me a badly healed wound in his ankle while his face puffed up and his eyes began to tear as he recounted how poorly he was treated upon his return home.

I also discovered that he's been writing books, but has never talked to a publisher. I told him I self publish, and how it's the way to go now, and gave him the information that got me to where I am now in my writing. I felt like he was an old friend by the time he left. I began to think about how much I like it when people like this come in. To hear their stories, and in many cases to feel them. The laughter, the tears.

I was just about to close up when another lady came in. She bought some old window shutters last week and was picking them up. She arrived five minutes before closing. I felt a silent groan when she appeared, but welcomed her with a smile. She chatted for 25 minutes, well past closing. People walking by saw the door open and filed in. The shutter-lady smiled and whispered, Sorry, it's my fault you are still here, but maybe one of these customers will be good for you! and she was on her way. No one bought anything, and as soon as they left, I hurried straight to the blinds and turned the Open sign around to Closed. I had one more blind to draw when I saw a van pull up. Ughhh, really? I peeked my head through the door, smiled, waved, and mouthed, It's okay, come on in.

The couple said they were from out of town. They happened to be driving past and wanted to stop and see the building because the man's father had owned the building previously. I said, Ahh! Mike! and then I looked at him, widening my eyes, and said, You know...your dad is still here. I proceeded to explain all the little noises, bumps, chair pushing and happenings in the place over the years. I even showed them our ask Mike sign by the cash register. They were quite fascinated, and I was really happy to have met them. I also explained how, when I brought the old guitar back (that had cracked me in the head) and hung it on the wall, the activity seemed to calm down a LOT.

While the couple looked around at all the renovations and recounted old times, we talked about all the spirit happenings some more, and I offered them the guitar. They thought it over, but then they decided that Mike would like it to remain there. The man purchased a few rock and roll music items, and they gave me their contact information for when either I was ready or they were ready to receive their dad's guitar back. Mike's son wished me all the best success, and said it was nice meeting me. Then before closing the door, he smiled a wistful smile, looked around, and said, Goodbye, Dad.

So my Aha! moment, as dear Oprah would call it, was that I've opened this store for a purpose of earning a little extra cash and helping to upkeep this money pit of a building, and in doing so, I'm meeting new people, hearing wonderful tales, and enjoying old souls.

I think I'll stick with it for awhile and see what transpires. 🙂

Sheila Burke is a married mom of three beautiful and strong young adults. Always a dabbler in putting pen to paper, Burke finally started publishing her books in 2010 with the release of her first book, Zen-Sational Living. Although she freely admits to losing her Zen now and then, this inspirational author is pleased to share her life's journey with her readers, and has done so in the many titles she has released over the years, on her blog, and through social media. To explore her wonderful books, visit her author's page at Amazon. She can be contacted via her website, ZensationalLiving.com, or her popular Facebook page, BeZensational.

I recently lost my husband of 30 years. He died at the young age of 56 of brain cancer. I felt him through all of the services, but no longer hear or feel him. He promised he would always stay with me. Why can't I hear or feel him? Thank you for you answer.

Elizabeth

Susyn:

By the time you read this letter, you should be able to hear and sense your husband around you again. You see, it seems there is a specific pattern that unfolds when a loved one passes over. I have seen this numerous times and can assure you that there is nothing to be alarmed about.

When someone dies, their presence is often felt strongly right after their passing. This typically continues up until the time of their service. Once a service has been held, people often report that the spirit of their loved one seems to go away.

This lasts about six weeks. Though I can't explain why this happens, I had the same experience when my mother passed away. I felt her spirit strongly during the week between her passing and her funeral, and held a number of conversations with her during this time. After the funeral, things went quiet.

I have attempted to channel loved ones after their passing, and can't seem to receive any reception until a month and a half have passed. In one instance, a client's father came to me during this phase, but could not speak to me. Instead, he wrote messages on a piece of paper that I was able to see. My client was not able to talk directly with him until after this cycle was complete.

My sense is that when spirits cross over, there is a sort of initiation and healing that they must go through. As we process our own grief and shock here on the earth plane, they are going through a similar set of changes. Once this is complete, they are able to communicate with us once again.

You may also want to note another series of cycles that occurs when we lose a loved one. At the three, six and nine-month anniversary of their passing, we tend to move to a different level of grieving. At these intervals, you may notice your sense of pain and loss accelerating. This is a normal occurrence. It is helpful to keep these timeframes in mind as you move forward through the grieving process.

Your husband is near you and will always remain close. As I mentioned, by this time, you may have begun to feel his presence again. Watch for signs to come from the most unusual places, in the form of animals, smells, discovered personal items and memories that seem to appear out of nowhere.

You may be ready to schedule a channeling session with a medium to speak with him, as the time of silence should have passed by now. I wish you well as you recover from this loss and transition into a new relationship with your husband, one that bridges the gap between the human and spirit worlds.

*****

Oceania:

I believe your husband has been with you all along. You felt his presence strongly when he first passed because the two of you were close in the same way that a mother is almost inseparable from her newborn infant. Given that he was recently reborn, your husband is like the infant in this particular situation.

In another way, YOU are the child and he's the wise parent watching over you. He was very close to you following his transition, comforting and reassuring you as you adapted to the big changes that resulted from his passing, including the loss of his physical presence. That was an adjustment for both of you!

As a baby becomes a toddler, parents allow and encourage a bit more independence for the sake of the child's personal growth. When parent and child are out in the world, let's say at a park or playground, there's a stage where the young child stays close by the parent's side, even clinging physically. A little later, the child begins to wander off, looking back at the parent from time to time. Visual contact alone provides the comfort now; the child no longer needs to be in constant physical contact to feel loved and secure.

You're a toddler in your grief now. Your husband has backed away some to nudge you forward and to encourage your autonomy, but you can rest assured that he's always around. With time, you will learn to perceive and enjoy his subtler signs and communications.

You'll be with your husband again someday, but for now, you're still in Earth School, Theater, Lab, Nature Retreat! You still have lessons to learn, creations to manifest, mysteries to solve and simple pleasures to relish. You can't dive back into life if you're clinging to him, so wander off a bit with confidence that your husband is still there, just at a greater distance.

You have more living to do! You might look into personal coaching to explore your next life purpose. Up until now, you've been focused on your marriage and more recently upon caregiving. Now it's time for you! Develop your gifts, read, study, learn and allow yourself to enjoy friendships and new forms of companionship. You are hereby authorized to live your life to the fullest, guilt-free.

Begin by pampering yourself. Your husband would want that! Get a massage, a new haircut, new outfit, try a new hobby, go on a spiritual retreat or plan a small trip. If you are still grieving, consider a bereavement support group. From time to time, when you least expect it, your husband will make his presence known.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.