Visits from Heaven

 I've often wondered about the concept of life after death.  As a devout catholic, I believe in God.  But to be honest, I was sometimes skeptical about the idea of heaven and the afterlife. During the night of August 22, 2003, I had an experience that will forever change my view of death.  In fact, I honestly believe that there is no such thing as death.  Though we will all experience death in the physical world here on earth, our spirit lives on.

    How can I possibly be so sure that there is an afterlife?  On this wonderful night, I experienced what renowned physic John Edward calls a "visit."  Simply put, a "visit" is when you are spontaneously contacted by someone who is deceased. 

    I am not sure exactly what time it was.  But I do know that it was while I was sleeping, sometime between midnight and 6:30 a.m.  I felt myself walking down the hall in what looked like an office building.  There were doors on either side of me.  I entered one of the doors on the right side and entered into an office.   I looked around and saw a bunch of desks and windows around the room.

    Suddenly I see my husband's friend and former boss, Rich Lee, who died at the World Trade Center on September 11.   Rich smiled at me and began to tell me that he knew about my book, Footprints in the Sand.  He then thanked me for including him in my book.

    Then he looked at me and said, "Boston is O.K."  At this point, I asked him to give some sort of proof that it was really him.  In response, Rich motions me to a desk nearby where I see a cellular flip phone.  I go over to the desk and flip open the phone which had an LCD screen.  On this screen, I see a picture of Rich, his wife, and their son. 

    The next thing I remember is finding myself outside on the street holding this phone in my hand.  I look down the street and see this pickup truck.  In the bed of the truck, I see Rich's wife with their son.  I hurry toward the truck and look up.  Rich was now standing behind his wife and son. 

    Again, Rich speaks to me telling me to give his wife the message.  I go to his wife and just when I'm about to show her the picture on the phone, I wake up. 

    It is important to note that all communication between Rich and myself was completely nonverbal.  He did not speak with any words.  He spoke to me, instead, telepathically or with thought. And I would also like to point out that I felt this overwhelming feeling of peace.  I was completely unafraid. 

    When I got up that morning, it was almost like I woke up with a jolt.  It was unlike anything that I have ever experienced.  I was 100% sure that what I had just experienced was not a dream.  I was also 100% sure that it was in fact Rich and that he was O.K. 

    I could not get Rich out of my mind and decided to e-mail my husband John telling him what had just happened.  After reading my e-mail, John decided to forward it with a note to Rich's sister-in-law. 

    When she responded to the e-mail, John and I were both shocked and delighted.  Rich's wife, she explained, was considering moving to Boston to be near her brother.  However, she had conflicting emotions about selling the home that she and her late husband purchased together shortly before 9/11. 

    Hence, his message of "Boston is O.K." clearly made sense.  Rich, I believe, was trying to tell his wife that he would support her decision to sell the house and move to Boston.  He also wanted to let her know that not only was he O.K. but he was still there for her.

    During the ensuing weeks, I drove myself crazy thinking about my experience.  I felt guilty because I couldn't remember specific details about the picture on the cell phone.  In the dream, I asked Rich for proof.  And in response, Rich showed me this picture.  Yet, I can't remember specific details.

    I also couldn't stop wondering why Rich would come through to me and not his wife.  After all, I had never even met him in person.  I spoke to him on the phone and saw pictures of him, yet we never met.  So why would he choose to come through me?

    My sister-in-law Shari helped me to realize that I was completely missing the point.  Instead of being overly concerned with the reasons behind this visit, she told me to remember that what I had experienced was a very special gift.  Her words really hit home. 

    Rich did give me a very special gift, one which I can never repay.  As I said earlier, I will never see death the same way again.  

    The more I spoke about my "visit with Rich," the more I realized that I was not alone.  I was amazed to find that so many people had had similar experiences.  This is why I decided to write this book called, "Visits from Heaven," and I am eternally grateful for all the people who have contributed their own amazing experiences.  

    This book contains over 80 such accounts from around the globe all of which have been validated in some way. In my case, my proof was the connection to Boston.  I had no idea his wife was thinking about moving to Boston.  I never even knew that she had a brother.

    The book will be published by A.R.E Press and is scheduled for a November 2009 release.