past installments--messages of hope

george anderson's messages of hope

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PAST INSTALLMENTS

Sisters, Servants of Mary

Dear Friends:

If you have ever come to see me in an appointment, or come to any of the speaking engagements I have done, then you know how fondly I think of the Sisters, Servants of Mary, Ministers of the Sick.

The Sisters, Servants of Mary is an order of nuns whose mission is to serve the sick and terminally ill. What makes them truly unique and admirable is that there is no charge for their services. They serve people in the New York area and around the world whose means cannot afford healthcare in the end stages of illness. They provide care and compassion 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I am proud to offer my continuing financial assistance and friendship to these courageous, kind sisters.

The Sisters are facing a dilemma which is threatening their ability to minister to the sick and dying--their convent house is crumbling. It has become an unstable and potentially dangerous situation--many nuns are awakened in the middle of the night to scramble for buckets and mops when it rains--their roof is in such bad condition there is concern that it might collapse. They are forced to leave their rooms in search of safer areas to sleep, not only for themselves, but for the elderly nuns who have given a lifetime of service to others, and now need assistance themselves.

The projected cost of the repairs to the Convent house is more than one million, five hundred thousand dollars. Through contributions and fundraisers, the Sisters have managed to raise about two hundred thousand dollars, but that is not nearly enough to begin the reconstruction of the Convent. If the sisters cannot raise the money needed to continue in New York, they will have to move, leaving many people who are dying and unable to afford quality care.

In the ten years that our website has been up and providing our readers with hope, we have never had to ask people for anything in return, but because of the gravity of the Sisters' situation, I am humbly asking your help in order to raise a little more money for the Sisters.

If you are able to send any amount--even as little as a dollar, it would be most gratefully accepted. You can send your donation directly to the Sisters at the address below. All donations are fully tax deductible.

If your means will allow a donation of $100.00 or more--I would like to personally send you an autographed copy of one of my books as a thank-you gift. Again, the donation is fully tax deductible, and the book is a gift from me to you, for helping us to help the Sisters. Your gift of 100.00 will receive a letter from the Sisters, thanking you for your help, which you can save for tax time. The book will be sent directly from us when we receive your check, which we will forward to the Sisters.

If you would like to send a $100.00 donation to receive an autographed book from me, please send your check made out to:

Sisters, Servants of Mary (please don't make the check out to me--Your check must be payable to the Sisters, Servants of Mary in order to be tax deductible. We will forward it to the Sisters and send your autographed book from our offices.) Send your check to:

Sisters, C/O George Anderson
Post Office Box 733
Deer Park, New York 11729

When we receive your check, we will send an autographed book to you, and forward your check to the Sisters. When the Sisters receive your check, you will receive a hand-written acknowledgement and thanks from them.

If you would like to send a smaller donation, please accept my heartfelt thanks in advance, and please send your donation directly to the Sisters:

Sisters, Servants of Mary
Ministers to the Sick
3305 Country Club Road
Bronx, New York 10465-1296

The Sisters will send you a written acknowledgment of your contribution for your records.

"Sisters, Servants of Mary, Ministers to the Sick, Inc. is tax-exempt under section 501[c][3] of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations to the Sisters are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law." ID#510228720

Ten Years

by
George Anderson

These are statements that actually came out of my mouth ten years ago:

"A tremendous waste of time and energy."

"A passing fad--something that will never catch on."

"An exercise in futility--something nobody will see."

What was I talking about? well those statements were made to my Director of Programs in response to his idea about creating a website for the internet. Ten years and around 13 million viewers later, it's nice to have my words come back to bite me. This month is the ten year anniversary of that milestone.

Something I could not even have conceived of as little as ten years later has become such a fact of life that I try and place myself back that many years ago to find out what exactly seemed so preposterous about the idea in the first place. Looking back at that letter it occurred to me that I, like many of the bereaved who come to see me, can't really see the forest for the trees. But, just like the bereaved, I really had no choice but to walk forward and find my future.

Many people who find themselves in a loss situation look only at what their loss means to them right now--they can't even conceive of next week, next month, next year--the graveness of their circumstance makes it look like that world has no beginning, middle or end. This is why so many find themselves musing that it would be better if they just died, too. The new world they live in is unfamiliar, it has no past, and it has no foreseeable future.

It is interesting to talk to some of the people who have seen me the first year of their loss, and then to have the privilege to see them again a few years later. They are still bereaved, but somehow they have found a way to live in the strange world they first found themselves in right after their loss--they learned all the good and bad places, found areas of rest and even happiness within those solid walls, and even learned to understand the language of that unforgiving world of grief. Some have even adapted enough to help others navigate those treacherous first days and weeks where this new world is not a world they want to continue in--somehow, through kinship, faith and even help from their loved ones passed on, they find a way to adapt, learn, and live again.

In so many of the sessions I have done for the bereaved, their loved ones in the hereafter tell them not to be so surprised at the unfamiliarity of this world of grief--they tell all of us that we are never walking alone, and that we have an entire world of the souls to rely on. They also tell us that there is so much we need to learn from the circumstances, both good and bad, that we find ourselves in. They ask us to face this new world--not turn away from it--and begin walking through it. They also tell us to be brave enough to look around us for signs from them and others that appear to help all of us continue walking. They promise us it will be an amazing feeling to look back and see how far we have come, and how much we have learned.

Ten years ago I could never have conceived putting words to paper, having them be "uploaded" to a common site so that my thoughts could be read by somebody in Singapore and Toronto at the same time. I wish I could tell you that I finally understand the technology, but I don't. I am lucky to be blessed with people around me who are visionaries--who want to see hope spread all over the world, and they learned how to make it happen. Ten years and thirteen million visitors later, I am grateful that hope is still alive, and people, through this internet website, and others like it, find a sense of community so that the scary world of bereavement they find themselves in has a few more visitors for company on the long walk home. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey.

Graduation Day

by George Anderson

June is the month where many of us get to see the joy and happiness of children who are graduating from one school to another, or from higher education to the world around them. I have been to many graduations and seen the the proud smiles of parents who are thrilled over their children's achievements, standing at the cusp of a new life.

At these same graduations I have seen other faces--not the proud smiles or giddy happiness that surrounds the graduations, but rather, the struggle to stay composed, to deal with the heartache and envy of watching people who actually had the opportunity to see their children grow on the earth. Their children are passed on, and nothing brings more sadness than witnessing a joy they feel they will never have again--their child's graduation day.

People who know me or have read my books know very well that these children who have passed on actually have had the most important graduation of all--the graduation of a short and accomplished life here to a world of perfect beauty and peace. But those words are not enough when your heart is breaking, watching other parents with their precious children and wanting so badly to turn the clock back to a time where there was no loss.

Although this page is supposed to be words of inspiration from my experience, I would rather use the space to ask a favor of you. I would like to ask you to use the month of June to reach all the people you know who have lost children, and tell them you remember. So often these parents disappear from functions and parties, especially around this time of year, because nobody wants to add to their troubles by reminding them of the loss of their children. These people will never forget that their child is passed on, so there is no worry about reminding them. Instead, invite them to the celebrations, to the graduations, to the happy times, or at the very least, suck up your pride, your fear or your impatience by asking how they are, and really listening to the answer. It will do the parents a world of good to hear the names of their children spoken by other people, and you will have done a wonderful thing for them. Talk about their children's "graduation" into the hereafter, and cry if it happens--even crying is good. But never let another June go by without seeking out the bereaved parents you know, and call just to let them know you care. It is the most important graduation gift you can give them, your own family, and even yourself.

A Field of Roses

by George Anderson

A dear friend called me one morning to tell me about the dream he had of his father, who had passed on suddenly a few months before. He told me that in his dream, his father met him, and the walked and talked amid beautiful fields under a warm, sunny sky. As they walked, they passed an unusual field of white roses. What my friend found unusal about the field was that each white rose stood alone on a single stem, and each had a ribbon around it. They covered the field by the thousands and looked to be untouched by human hands, yet they grew perfectly.

In his dream, my friend asked his father about the unusual field of roses, and why each had a ribbon around it. His father explained to him that each rose was a gift, sent to the earth, that was never received. So the roses stand, each with its ribbon, to be given to the soul upon their return to the hereafter. My friend didnt understand, so he pressed his father further, and the story he was told is one that I have heard many times from the souls who communicate to their families on the earth.

Each of us, in our lifetime on the earth, is sent many gifts from the hereafter. Some are the gift of laughter when things are bleak, others are the gift of friendship for the lonely. Some are even true love for those who walk the earth in search of it. These gifts are sent to us to help encourage us on our journey, and to take the sometimes rough edges off a difficult time we experience, or a heartache we endure. So what are they doing, standing in rows like soldiers, in the hereafter? They were gifts unopened by us--ignored for some reason, passed by, uncollected, and returned to the hereafter so that we have them when we understand their value.

My friend's dream is not unusual--the souls have told me many times that we are showered with things from the hereafter to make our lives a little easier, but because of fear, distrust, or sometimes plain stubbornness, we are unable to see these gifts for what they truly are. Worse--we acknowledge they are gifts, but somehow feel we are not entitled to them or unworthy. Many of us are in stages of our lives where we do not trust people or circumstances enough to take a chance, fearing we will be worse off than when we started.

The souls have a very simple message to the earth which they have stated over and over--gifts come to us because they are meant to. There is no need to question why or how--gifts are not planned, but they correspond to circumstances in our lives the same way friends remember a birthday with a gift. People who wander into our lives when we need a friend is a special gift, although many are turned away out of fear or distrust. Opportunities for good things to happen come and go because we think too much about them. But nothing given to us is ever lost--even though it was sorely needed by us on the earth and we still did not accept it, these gifts return to the hereafter, and wait for us to cross over and understand why they were sent in the first place. It is the very point, however, that we no longer need them. So they return to the hereafter, objects of kindness and love, and grow like beautiful roses in a field of white.

I have said many times throughout the years that bereavement is a bonfire of the vanities--it is a point where we hit the bottom of our emotional, physical and philosophical barrel. This is exactly the time that we need to look around us and grab hold of whatever can keep us from disappearing into the black hole of grief. If you are bereaved, or alone, or unhappy in a place on your journey, then look around you--the gifts may not be obvious but they are there. Dont just accept them, grab them and hang on to them--they were meant to save your hope and help your soul. And they are meant for you. Accept whatever comes your way with the knowledge that somebody, whether it is here or hereafter, is concerned for you and values you. All you are required to do is say "thank you."

The Shadow You Cast

by George Anderson

I wish it were that even if our loved ones cannot be seen, they would be able to cast a shadow, so that everybody who feels they are alone in their grief could look down and see the shadow of a familiar shape standing right next to theirs. But in a way--maybe not as visible or tangible, the souls cast their shadow over every part of our ongoing lives.

In so many sessions the souls tell us they have been there all the time--through the first frightening moments of loss, through the first baby steps we take in grief, alongside the guilt we experience when we start to enjoy things around us again, through the troubling times when we fall back into grief, and even silently through the times we can learn to continue on our own. The souls tell us that part of their spiritual journey in the hereafter is to continue helping us to complete our journey on the earth. But with so many doubts and a shortage of trust, people here dont seem to believe them.

We are incredibly brave, but unfortunately a little naive, to think we have been doing all of this by ourselves. The times we make bad decisions because grief has made us absent-minded, and we find that by some stroke of good luck things did not come out as bad as we feared. If there were a shadow cast in that instance, you would see your loved one firmly by your side in poorly made decisions that somehow come out alright.

We consider ourselves very lucky, but not too realistic, that a stranger wanders into our lives when help is needed badly. We marvel how at just the right time a perfect stranger turns to us and asks, "Is everything alright?" and then proceeds to tell us they are in the same boat. Friendships of the closest kind materialize as if out of thin air, and people find their way into our hearts to fill the void left by a loved one. If we were able to look at the ground where our shadow met our new friend's, we would find the shadows of four people closely knit in conversation.

Those nights we feel we have had a catharsis--that suddenly in feeling so alone and helpless, we find a memory of better times and find ourselves laughing and remembering such a wonderful circumstance, knowing we are just going through the ups and downs of loss, and it will pass. I wish we could see, through the shadow cast by the lamplight, that there is the shadow of another image whispering in our ear.

The souls cannot cast a shadow, but they leave the shadow of themselves all over our lives--they are the invisible hands that reach in when we start to come unravelled by the sheer amount of work it takes to continue on the earth as a bereaved person. But they help in more ways we will ever know, until it is our time to pass. Sometimes, at the beginning, it is minute by minute. Then as we start to live again, it becomes hour by hour. As we learn to laugh and continue, it becomes day by day. But it lingers and fades, just the way shadows do. The more light we need, the stronger the shadow. The less light we need, the fainter the image. It all depends on us. But whether the shadow of our loved ones can be seen or felt, they promise it will always be there. As long as we walk on the earth we will never have to do it alone. Look for the shadows--even if they only exist in your heart. No matter how they are perceived, they will always be there.

Afterlife Encounters

by George Anderson

I think everybody can be dated by the expressions they use. One of my favorites is "Busman's Holiday." Not too many people even remember the origin of that expression--let alone the meaning--but it means that the last thing a bus driver wants to do on his vacation is ride the bus to anywhere. I use this expression frequently because there are so many people, especially those who feel they have been "gifted," that want to talk about the wonderful world of mediumship. That to me is a "Busman's Holiday." I'm not talking about people who want to share their experiences of loss--that is a human need and something I am always interested in--I am talking about those who want to talk at length about the process of mediumship. I have to admit to you that I dont have much interest in the process--the souls talk and I listen and tell you--that is as much as I need to know. Anything more than that is lost on me, and about last on my list of interesting things to talk about.

What is interesting to talk about, however, is the circumstance of people who are NOT "gifted" hearing directly from their loved ones in the circumstance of an "Afterlife Encounter"--people who, for some reason in their journey here, were priveleged to witness a visitation from a loved one. These type of apparitions are always interesting and special to me because no matter how brief or lengthy, the impact of them is life-changing (and often grief-changing) for those lucky enough to have had one.

I have known Dianne Arcangel for quite a few years now--she is not only an incredible researcher and scientist in this field, she is also the biggest skeptic of it--something I admire and appreciate. Dianne has never been swept up into the hype or "mediummania" that so often ruins research in this field. She is rather like me--constantly pushing the envelope, and it makes for much better answers to an area of life that there are so few. I have to admit that being asked to read her book, "Afterlife Encounters," had all the makings of a Busman's Holiday for me, but she is a friend and knowing Dianne the book would be far from drivel. In the book, which is her 5 year study of people who had spontaneous apparitional experiences (apparitions not brought about by a medium or intuitive) makes the strongest case yet that our loved ones are bending over backwards to help us understand that they have not "died." The encounters--some brief, some unbelievably lengthy-are all fascinating and poignant examples of how much our loved ones care. Dianne also tells the story of our impromptu meeting and the paces she put me through as a scientist and researcher--something I always respected about her. It is so important to believe in your heart that the souls exist, but it is important to keep challenging the methods, and Dianne has made a career of it.

I think everyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one should read a book like this. Even if you have never had an "afterlife encounter," you cant help but applaud the souls who come through in such a powerful way to their loved ones--not just how they appear but why--I think it helps people to understand the souls are doing their best to help us, even if the best thing to do is not to "help" us until we have perspective on grief. But the stories are fascinating and inspirational, and told through the eyes of a researcher who keeps one vigilant finger on the "hype detector" button. This is one of a scarce few books I have read and actually understand and appreciate for the fact that it stays with the family and their phenomenon rather than to buy into the hysteria that often finds its way into books in this field. I hope you will have a chance to read it. I hope even more that you will learn something from it--that no matter what the circumstance--our loved ones are able to communicate to us if we are able to hear them.

The Eyes of God

by George Anderson

Every once in a blue moon somebody will save a letter for me to read when they feel it would be of interest--the content or the message. This letter was a little troubling, only because of the way it started--"This may sound dumb, but....". No matter how hard I try to convince people when you are dealing with a world you cant see, feel or understand, NO question is dumb. But what bothered me about this letter was the question the woman thought might be dumb--she wanted to know if pets are loved enough by God to see life hereafter.

I looked very carefully at the neat, carefully written letter, and noticed something I didnt see immediately--there were small dots over the letter where the ink ran. The ink ran because the letter was dotted with tears. I promise myself every time I read a letter like this that I will not call, and every time I read a letter like this I call. I cant help myself--I am a pet lover too. If anything I called only to offer condolences. When I called the woman was very surprised but very polite, telling me it was wonderful that I took the time to call over something that wasnt as big a deal as many of the other people who write. I had to beg to differ with her--I told her that her grief was just as important and painful as anybody else's, and the reason why I called is because many people dont feel that way. "You are right", she told me, "There arent many people I can confide to about such profound grief over a cat. She may have only been a cat, but she was my baby. She was all I had. I just hope that God feels the same way about her."

Maybe you need to be a pet owner to understand this, but the souls in the hereafter are very specific about pets on the earth. They call them the "eyes of God" on the earth, and if you share your life with a pet you know exactly what they mean. No matter what the circumstance, no matter what their history, pets never lose the capacity to love without condition, and to willingly accept whatever is thrown at them in this existence. Even through abuse, torture, neglect and indifference, pets learn to love the very people who mistreat them, and never lose the ability to trust another human being again. They are a source of eternal light and love on the earth--the closest that we will ever come to the Infinite Light on the earth. But why dont more people realize this? because they cannot speak for themselves, and because as humans we think we have power over them.

I have warned people in books and also in seminars that the hereafter considers cruelty to animals much worse offense than cruelty to another human being. Because they are often smaller and have to rely on instincts rather than education to get by in life, the energy, love and light they exude is cherished by the Infinite light, who sends pets to the earth to teach us what is possible through love and hope. Where people fall apart in difficult circumstances, animals seem to thrive. We as a culture, with our arrogance and pride, do not yet recognize that. That is, unless you are graced with a pet in your life.

In answer to the woman's question, pets are welcomed home to the hereafter every bit as much as their human counterparts--even more so, because they fully complete the job they have been sent here to do--to remind us that love is enduring, and that the eyes of God are always on the earth.

The Devil Made Me Write This

by George Anderson

Every once in a while a customer will send an interesting piece of news or snippet from their local paper. Such was the case when someone sent me a page from the Daily Press of Victorville, California. The article's title--"Vatican School Debuts Classes on Exorcism." Naturally the sender knew the article would be of interest to me for two reasons, because I am Catholic, and because the article flies in the face of just about everything the souls have said about the "Devil."

The Vatican--in its struggle to regain lost credibility, lost worshippers, and lost dollars has re-invented itself again by bringing back the subject of excorcism, I will guess in an effort to take the focus away from the pedophilia scandal that they cannot make disappear. I just find it odd that after the hubbub of the 1970's when excorcism became a household word, in part due to movies like "The Excorcist" and "The Omen", that the Church would want to take the lid off the Pandora's Box when it took years to get the lid back on. The good news is that they have put a millennium spin on it now--the Devil is on the Earth.

I have many friends in the clergy. They know not to broach this subject with me because what they were taught is not clear, and even the Church is at odds as to find answers to its own questions. The souls have told me ever since I was able to hear them that the Infinite Light (or God) is pure light and love. Nothing exists in the presence of the Light except for joy. That is why it has been called "heaven." The souls have told me in more than one million sessions that evil is a product of the earth and it stays on the earth. They have explained thousands of times to families that there simply isnt a hell--even the worst on the earth are made to understand where their road went astray here, and are given the opportunity to work to earn the peace, love and joy of the Infinite Light.

Although I was brought up hearing the same dogma that just about every other Christian has been made to listen to, I also have the souls--their words and their deeds-- who offer up a very compelling case against the belief in Satan and Hell.

I often ask people this--if God forgives all, and all you need to do to be forgiven is to ask for it, then if Adolf Hitler, in his last breath says, "God forgive me," where does he go? I am afraid Christians cannot eat their cake and still have it when it comes to the rules. Although it may pain a lot of people to hear this, no matter how bad your life was on the earth, your anger, your pain, your illness has been understood by the Infinite Light who forgives and offers to help to make things right. This is not to say that all is forgotten--I remember in a session I did for a family whose daughter was murdered by an estranged boyfriend who later killed himself, that his job in the hereafter was to look after the family's surviving son, who himself was on a road of destruction, to help himself get back on his feet. The daughter asked for the family to pray for her killer because he needed their forgiveness and was working very hard to earn his place in the Light. I think at the time is was almost too much for the family to hear. But I talked to the family a few years later, and yes their son had straightened his life out, and yes they are struggling to find forgiveness for their daughter's killer, but they understand that it is what forgiveness is all about--to just find peace. The mother told me in a letter "I can hate the man for killing my daughter but I have to love him for saving my son.

There is plenty of evil on the earth, make no mistake--but we cannot have excorcisms for greed or violence or broken trust. Our goal here is to try to erase the evil that is a part of us and our every day lives, and try, at least a little, to bring heaven to the earth. The souls say it can be done.

White Noise? Noise, alright

by George Anderson

Prepare yourself--the dead are back, and this time they're MAD. Reality? Of course not. Another idiot movie that assumes the bereaved have no feelings or dignity? Absolutely.

Just when I finished putting my soapbox away after the "telemedium" debacle comes another of those "I see dead people" movies called "White Noise." I saw a clip of the movie, and its noise alright. The theory behind the movie is sound--Thomas Edison, at the end of his career, began working to produce a radio which could pick up the electromagnetic currents of sound produced by the souls when they speak to those on the earth. The trouble with Mr. Edison's invention is that it worked too well, and from its inception was mired in controversy. I was told many years ago that scientists at Bell Laboratories were working on the same thing, receiving the same results, and scaring the bejesus out of everybody. Like everything else that seeks to prove the existence of the souls, it was quickly abandoned.

This movie uses the premise that a scientist, after the passing of his wife, seeks to reproduce this device, called EVP. What could have been a movie about the wonder of communication between two worlds quickly degenerates into a second class horror flick, where the souls who were so willing to communicate to him through this device suddenly become angry and dangerous.

I have just one question for filmmakers--Why dont you trust your audience? Why do you insist that it is easier to believe the souls are scary, than to venture into the reality that the souls are trying their darndest to help us through this existence? I already know the answer. It was the same answer the investigative reporter of a national news show once told me--"George, you talk to the dead and you can prove it--where's the story in that?"

It actually irritates me that it is easier to believe that the souls lie in wake to frighten us, rather than what the actual truth is--that the souls communicate because they WANT to. They see the struggle we go through and they want so much to reach out to us in a way we can understand. Sometimes its though me in a session, sometimes its directly to their loved one on the earth, and in theory it could also be through this EVP device. But the sad reality of life here is that people are frightened by what they dont fully understand. I have often told people that the signs from our loved ones are small and almost imperceptible because if they appeared for us full face we would probably faint from the fear. The souls are so careful about our well-being here that it makes the concept of evil and vulgar words coming from the souls something that is just too hard for me to bear.

While there have been movies that show the wondrous and beautiful side of the world hereafter and our need to connect with it ( "CONTACT" or "RESURRECTION") I suppose it is just too easy to ridicule what we dont understand, or worse--make it dangerous and scary. And what do the souls think? They dont. They have much more patience about these things than I do. They know it is only a matter of time that the makers of this film will cross over and eat their words, and hopefully, their movie too. But the good news is these filmmakers have nothing to fear from the souls--they are loved in spite of their mistaken and ill-informed theories about communication from the other side. Just dont count on your loved ones following you into the movie house for this one.

Angels and Other Nonsense

by George Anderson

I had a couple come recently for a session accompanied by their 11 year old daughter. As they entered the room for the session, she looked around, stared at me, and blurted out, "So whats the deal on angels--if they're so great then why do they need wings to fly?" I could see her parents were mortified at her brazenness but I thought it was very funny and also quite insightful. Kids are a great barometer of what is senseless, and will often tell you to your face when you or something you say makes no sense.

So much of what we hear about the "Other Side" is written by well meaning but tragically mis-informed people, hoping to make some sense out of that which cannot be explained very easily. Thats where we get these notions about angels, guides, rules, regulations and other nonsense--all designed to explain a world that defies any explanation we foolish earthbound people can come up with.

I was sent a book recently where a very well meaning woman tried to help her readers understand what she thought would be the dynamics of the hereafter. She agreed with me that the Blessed Mother is able to come to the earth to help those who are in turmoil, but her story went south when she decided to throw in, "Mother Mary must ask permission of her Son, Jesus, in order to intercede on God's behalf." That statement made me laugh out loud. I thought of my own mother, and me daring to tell her she needed MY permission to do anything she wanted. I am sure "Mother Mary" would not take a swing at Jesus, but at the same time the Mother of the Universe does not need ANYONE'S permission to visit those who are in turmoil. I see this very often during the sessions where she appears, especially to mothers who have lost their sons. People forget she also watched a son die and lived with that pain the rest of her life, so she understands very well the pain of another mother in the same circumstance. She also knows that not just her child, but EVERY child is a child of God. I know many people of great faith will be annoyed at my characterization, but believe me, no mother needs a permission slip from her son to do anything she pleases, especially not Mary.

I had another gentleman come to my session to tell me that although he had several close people who had passed on in his life, he was most especially interested in hearing from his "guides." Somewhere in the 1980's that word became very popular in the "New Age" movement, and then suddenly the "guides" wer being blamed for every bad decision people made here. I dont know why this would need pointing out, but our "guides" are our loved ones, who already care for us and help us on our journey here They do what they can to help us continue on our road toward the hereafter, but they make it very clear that WE are the ones in the driver's seat--it is up to us to continue on the road and make the decisions we need to make. Even the souls dont like the term "guides"--they prefer more to follow our decisions than to lead them.

But this brings me back to Vanessa and her question. She is right--angels dont have wings. Or a halo. Or a harp (unless of course it was something they always wanted to learn on the earth but never had the chance.) There is actually a simple reason why the souls appear to have wings and a halo, and it is something I have seen quite often with the souls, and also by others who have received visitations from thier loved ones. The souls come to the earth surrounded by incredible light--it radiates love and peace, and it it so strong that it often puts them in silhouette because the light is so beautiful. But it creates a curious effect--it appears that something is fanning out from their arms and shoulders, and above their head. I suppose people, in an effort to explain what they have witnessed, put it in very earthly terms. But it is simply the energy of the Infinite Light that creates this strange and beautiful effect.

There are things in the hereafter that cannot be measured, understood or explained by earthly standards. The souls have even told me there are colors there we cannot possibly even understand, but their world is beautiful, and they promise us it awaits us when our work here is done. And that is something no amount of nonsense will ever diminish.

None So Deaf

by George Anderson

Mediumship is not a perfect world. So many variables are moving at the same time that it is a wonder it happens at all. You need a family willing to hear the communication from the souls, and you need a soul willing to communicate. You also need a family to understand the communication, and a soul who is working hard to make them understand. You need time, patience and perspective. But most of all, you need faith--faith that the messages can come, and faith that they will make a difference. And in the middle of all this sits the medium.

I wish it could be that every single person who comes for a session finds peace and comfort. I tell people straightforwardly that my goal is to never see them again--that they understand, by the communication, that their loved one has not disappeared, and is with the family forever. Sometimes the sessions have the reverse affect--people are angered by the messages, or the lack of a specific message, or the answer to a problem they have, or the unwillingness of the soul to change the sitter's journey on the earth for the better. Regardless of how the information is understood or not understood, my job remains the same--I listen to the souls and tell families what the souls are saying. That is my job, and I dont work for the sitter. The souls made that very clear years ago. I work for the souls--I am their voice and the session is their opportunity to communicate. My hope, and the soul's hope--is that the family can look past themselves and really listen. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesnt. But it never stops the souls from trying.

I had a couple come to me a few weeks ago. They were devastated at the loss of a son--he commited suicide at the age of only 12 years old. They listened very intently as the son came through like a shot--explaining the exact circumstance of his passing and then telling his parents repeatedly that he suffered from a type of illness that caused him to not fully comprehend the taking of his own life. Listening to the boy, it became clear to me his efforts were to make sure his parents did not leave that room thinking they were to blame for anything that happened. After the session the couple thanked me, vigorously shook my hand and went on their way.

A few weeks later I received an email from the same couple who were angry that the session did not bring them the kind of peace they were hoping for. Even though they acknowledge that their son explained to them in detail the circumstance of his passing, the father felt I wasted too much time going on a "diatribe" about how his son's decision to end his life was more a physical problem than due to anything within the family. He went on to say that names his son called out were not recognizeable to him, so therefore the session was fake. He went on in a later email to tell me that somehow we are able to research the thousands of appointments I do on a yearly basis, even though he had made the session under another name and different address.

It saddens me to think people would rather believe an elaborate scheme rather than think for a second their loved ones care enough to communicate to them. Somehow it is easier to believe I have the CIA giving me information (people have actually said that) than to believe their loved ones care so much that they are willing to push their way into our world to tell us how much we are loved. It saddens me to think that a 12 year old boy's attempt to make sure his parents stopped blaming themselves for his suicide somehow was interpreted as a useless editorial. The souls do what they can, as do I during a session, but as the souls often tell both me and the families, "What you do with the information is up to you."

Some people have discounted their loved one's communication in its entirety because their loved one did not mention their favorite pudding (I am not kidding). Another decided the session was garbage because her father could not help her sort out her lovelife--he explained that if she had the answers it wouldnt be a test. Another person just felt that her loved ones in the hereafter didnt sound happy enough to see her, and not one soul commented on her hair. Because I am human my heart aches for the souls who try so hard to make themselves heard, even when our fear, arrogance or apathy makes us deaf to their words. The souls, however, take it in stride. They know that somebody may not listen now, but they may listen later, and they may understand at another time. So they communicate, and leave their words of hope among us.

There was a session I did where no matter what I said to a woman about her husband she just shrugged. I felt myself getting frustrated that her husband was communicating to her in earnest and she didnt seem the least bit interested. During the communication I sighed, and her husband chimed into my ear, "she's not listening--now you know what I went through all those years." I almost burst out laughing, but it was just the tonic I needed. This soul was very philosophical about the communication--he will communicate what he knew she needed to hear, whether she heard it or not. It has helped me to be a little bit more philosophical myself when people, in my estimation, waste the soul's time.

I have to admit that even in the rare circumstances the soul's communication falls on deaf ears, there have been people who had originally written to complain, only to send another letter months later to say they were a little premature in their judgment--and then rave about the same session they trashed. In my mind it makes no difference--it just proves what I know for years--the souls are always right.

From years of learning from the souls I can tell you this--when you come for your session, dont respond. Dont listen. Dont care. Dont do anything. It makes no difference. Your loved one got you to the session to tell you something. No matter what you do, they love you enough to still be a part of your world, often whether you deserve it or not. That is the beauty of the souls--even though we may not be, they are always listening.

See Mary Run

by George Anderson

I remember very well the first time I met Mary O'Reilly and her family--I remember it because of an unusual thing that happened. Near the end of the session after the death of her son, Colin James, at 8 years old, Colin mentioned that the bird was with him. The family looked confused at first, and then laughed and said, "Okay, Yes."

The message was designed as a reminder to the family that although Leukemia had taken the physical life of Colin, in spirit he was still part of the family. Colin made reference to an incident where James O'Reilly had accidentally run over a bird hiding in the grass with the lawn mower. For the O'Reillys, the accidental death was a hard reminder of the time they lost Colin. In their session, however, they were glad to hear that Colin was still involved with the family to know that the incident happened, and that the bird was safe and well in the hereafter.

I have come to know Mary O'Reilly well over the years, and in many incarnations. She has gone from a bereaved mom not in control of her own circumstances to a woman determined not to be defined by loss. It has not been easy by any stretch, but the interesting common factor in all the incarnations of Mary has been her need to run. When I first heard about Mary's interest in running, it almost seemed to be a kind of running away from problems and the reality of her life after Colin. There always seemed to be something panicked and urgent about the need for her to run. After a time though, and I would see Mary again under different circumstances-- the running was still there, only in her life now it seemed more that Mary needed to run from the circumstances and people in a life she no longer recognized. So Mary Ran. And ran, and ran.

My friendship with Mary is now almost 8 years old. I am slowing down, but Mary is still running. But there is a different Mary I see. Mary has no need to run for her life anymore--whatever happened in the past is gone forever, and she took only the things she needed with her--the love of her children and the need to stop being a victim of death. In her many incarnations one factor has always been there--Mary knows Colin has followed her every step as she runs to find peace. And now Mary runs for Colin's life.

In September 2004 Mary will be running in the Phantom Marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. What I find so extraordinary about Mary is how far she has come--from running away from desperation to running for the lives of everyone who may experience the hard road of dealing with Leukemia as she did.

Mary is a success story of epic proportions because of her ability to overcome loss and see the bigger picture of beauty and hope in transition to the other side. She understands after a very long time that Colin is with her in a way he could have never been on the earth--a champion of life, a reason to work and a reason to hope. Mary needs contributors to raise money for Leukemia, and we have set up a page to be able to make that happen. Please click here to visit Mary's Page . I hope you will please help us to help Mary's dream a reality--to make the word Leukemia non existent on the earth. Help Mary run--she is running for us all.