“Both my parents died last year – my dad in March and my mum in November. A week after my mum died, I was in the kitchen with my son, making breakfast. My son was just over 2 years old then.
He was at the table, facing the windows (no curtains, floor to ceiling style), and I was at the sink. He suddenly called out, ‘Opa and Oma are outside.’
I came running over to him and he was pointing to the window insisting Mum and Dad were standing outside looking in. He was speaking very clearly…there was no mistaking what he was saying, nor what he was meaning. I asked if he wanted Opa and Oma to be there, and he said, ‘No. They’re standing outside. We have to go to them. Open the door. Let’s go outside.’
So, of course, agnostic skeptic though I am, my heart was beating like mad and we dashed outside to see the twilight of dawn…and nothing else. My son looked around disappointedly, asking where they were.
Were they there? I don’t know. I hope so. Maybe they were behind him, and he saw the reflection. It does somewhat warm me to think they were together, and could see my son, their only grandchild.
There are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamed of in your philosophy…”
~Lana
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“I remember taking my Dad to the seniors’ center to pick up his lunch. (This was the week my mother had died, and this was three weeks after he came home from his 2nd brain tumor operation.) He saw a male friend, in a wheelchair, and I remember him grasping his hand, up high like a prizefighter – and they looked at each other with this look, no words spoken, and they were both survivors.”
~Tina
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
Strength and peace be yours…to help you weather the storms raging in your life right now.
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“The human heart continues to dream of a state of wholeness, that place where everything comes together, where loss will be made good, where blindness will transform into vision, where damage will be made whole, where the clenched question will open in the house of surprise, where the travails of life’s journey will enjoy a homecoming. To invoke a blessing is to call some of that wholeness upon a person now.”
“A blessing is a circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal and strengthen.”
~John O’Donohue 1954-2008
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
Australia’s Cape York Peninsula
Maybe you’ve heard about the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef.
On one tour, a traveler asked the guide an interesting question: “I noticed that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful. Why is this?”
The guide gave an interesting answer: “The coral around the lagoon side is in still water with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, and storms—surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of its life. As it is challenged and tested, it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces.”
Then he added this telling note: “That’s the way it is with every living organism.”
That’s how it is with people. Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness.
So when you have problems, tell yourself, “There I grow again!”
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“The night before last my son came home…he had nearly been killed after a snowmobiling avalanche incident. He had been with some friends enjoying B.C.’s spectacular mountain scenery when the backcountry snowpack broke, burying him alive. Miraculously, his friend dug him out—they were well prepared for the risk, wearing avalanche beacons.
“After he was rescued and his injuries assessed, I’m sure it hit him…it certainly hit me as he came home and told us about it.
“I do NOT want to lose my son, I CAN’T. I am extremely grateful that my son is alive and I have not lost him. My son that means more to me than life!
“Please, please, tell people to be careful and be prepared if they are venturing into backcountry.
“No family member should have to go through such an experience…or worse.”
~Izzy
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
You will receive a body and what you do with it is up to you.
You will learn lessons: You will be enrolled in a full-time informal school called LIFE and every day that you are involved with LIFE you will have the opportunity to learn a lesson.
There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error. The key to that is experimentation.
A lesson is repeated until learned; You’ve got to keep going at it until you learn it and when you learn it you’ve got to go on to the next lesson.
Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain lessons.
There is no better than Here. When your there becomes here you obtain another there. You’re Here is always better than There because you are Here.
Others are merely mirrors of you. You can’t love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.
What you make of your life is up to you. When you become a human you will have all the resources you need but what you do with them is up to you.
Your answers lie inside you (metaphorically) and not anywhere else. You’ve got to look, listen and trust.
You will forget all this.
You can remember it whenever you want.
Perhaps you prefer the following version from the book “If Life is a Game, These are the Rules” by Cherie Carter-Scott.
“When you were born, you didn’t come with an owner’s manual; these guidelines make life work better:
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s the only thing you are sure to keep for the rest of your life.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called “Life on Planet Earth”. Every person or incident is the Universal Teacher.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of experimentation. “Failures” are as much a part of the process as “success.”
4. A lesson is repeated until learned. It is presented to you in various forms until you learn it — then you can go on to the next lesson.
5. If you don’t learn easy lessons, they get harder. External problems are a precise reflection of your internal state. When you clear inner obstructions, your outside world changes. Pain is how the universe gets your attention.
6. You will know you’ve learned a lesson when your actions change. Wisdom is practice. A little of something is better than a lot of nothing.
7. “There” is no better than “here”. When your “there” becomes a “here” you will simply obtain another “there” that again looks better than “here.”
8. Others are only mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another unless it reflects something you love or hate in yourself.
9. Your life is up to you. Life provides the canvas; you do the painting. Take charge of your life — or someone else will.
10. You always get what you want. Your subconscious rightfully determines what energies, experiences, and people you attract — therefore, the only foolproof way to know what you want is to see what you have. There are no victims, only students.
11. There is no right or wrong, but there are consequences. Moralizing doesn’t help. Judgments only hold the patterns in place. Just do your best.
12. Your answers lie inside you. Children need guidance from others; as we mature, we trust our hearts, where the Laws of Spirit are written. You know more than you have heard or read or been told. All you need to do is to look, listen, and trust.
13. You will forget all this.
14. You can remember any time you wish.”
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
Avoid sarcastic remarks.
Have a firm handshake.
Look people in the eye.
Own a great stereo system.
Sing in the shower.
Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday.
Always accept an outstretched hand.
Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
Whistle.
Choose your life’s mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 per cent of all your happiness or misery.
Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.
Lend only those books you never care to see again.
Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.
When playing games with children, let them win.
Give people a second chance, but not a third.
Be romantic.
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.
Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for your convenience, not the caller’s.
Be a good loser.
Be a good winner.
Wave at the children on a school bus.
When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.
Keep it simple.
Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.
Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.
Live your life so that your epitaph could read, “No Regrets.”
Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the one’s you did.
Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.
Take charge of your attitude. Don’t let someone else choose it for you.
Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.
Begin each day with some of your favorite music.
Once in a while, take the scenic route.
Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, “Someone who thinks you’re terrific.”
Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.
Keep a note pad and pencil on your bedside table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.
Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.
Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.
Make someone’s day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.
Become someone’s hero.
Marry only for love.
Count your blessings.
Compliment the meal when you’re a guest in someone’s home.
Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people.
Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
Don’t expect life to be fair.
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
Sometimes in grief we find ourselves overwhelmed with sorrow, wondering how we made it this far…wondering how we can make it through the next day!
Well there are some things you can do to shift your focus from the pain to further your healing:
Have an object of the one who died…carry it with you…touch it…hold it close to your heart,
Read something inspirational, and, for now, don’t worry about the future,
Seek the support of others (don’t forget about support groups…you can find wonderful ones online),
Don’t drown yourself in the “what if’s”,
Allow yourself time to visit the grief but also time to distract yourself with activities that bring you joy…a bubble bath, a sunset walk, watching a child laugh…
And remember, when you move into a new chapter of your life, your beloved is carried along with you!
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
Mariana Bridi da Costa
Late last December when twenty-year-old Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa was feeling ill, she sought medical advice.
Doctors said she had kidney stones.
But when her condition worsened she was told she was suffering from a urinary tract infection.
However, by the time the infection was detected it had developed into septicemia—an infection of the blood.
And then, the septicemia was so bad that the doctors decided to amputate first her feet and then her hands after the condition reduced the amount of oxygen being delivered to her limbs.
For the septicemia to have developed into such a horrific outcome is a very rare occurrence.
Mariana Bridi, now in critical condition (“serious” has become “very serious”), is on life support, undergoing hemodialysis and fighting for her life in an intensive care unit in the city of Serra in the state of Espirito Santo in southeastern Brazil.
Doctors removed both her kidneys, and last night they removed part of her stomach because of internal hemorrhage.
The only recent communication she’s had with her family is through her eyes—by blinking.
Henrique Fontes, executive director of Miss World Brazil told CNN, “Two weeks ago the doctor gave her 24 hours to live and she’s been fighting and resisting—she’s quite amazing.”
This is a young woman who had dreams of becoming a world-class model and journalist. Now she is fighting for her life and hoping people will donate blood—she has a rare blood type (O negative).
A message on her website (which crashed because of all the traffic) begs for prayers.
My thoughts and prayers go out to you, Marianne, and your family! Hang on! You can get through this!
And if any of you reading this has O negative blood…
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James