Random ramblings...

[Captain]

Yesterday morning I was hunting a stand down on a creek bottom and had little to no service on the phone. I noticed I had a call from my Attorney on VM but there was not enough service to get the VM. In that we had just hunted ducks on the coast this past weekend I just figured he had left something in my truck and I'd call him when I got down. A few minutes later I got another VM from my dentist who is also a fishing buddy. A friend of ours has been in the hospital for several weeks and Mike and I took turns staying at the hospital all we could and usually touched base to figure out when each of us could be there. So I figured that's what was up and I'd call him when I got service.

At 8:38 I got a text from Di Conine, I had not heard from her in 8 months or so. She was just saying howdy and wanted me to pass along her well wishes to all the GH'ers. At 9:06 she sent this text, this is actually the cut and paste of it.

"You're gonna think I'm crazy but I got a strong sense that I was supposed to message you today and send you that pic. I "feel" him here with me very strongly sometimes. Today, his message to me was about you! LOL"

We talked for a few minutes longer about Bill and our friendship and she caught me up on happenings in her life. I told her my phone battery was about out and I'd text more when I got it charged.
As soon after 10 as I could, I charged my phone. So a little after 10 I got my VM's from my buddies that my fishing friend died at 8:30 that morning. I was sorta in shock as I had come in from the coast and stayed with him Sunday afternoon. But I never put Di's message together, at just moments after he passed, until I was texting with Posty, LJ, Arty and CD that afternoon.

There was something there, hearing from someone I had not talked to in many months, the wife of a close friend, a couple of states away, just out of the blue moments after another close friend passed.

I texted her last night:
"Just want you to know, you texted me this morning shortly after 8:30. My best friend and fishing partner died of cancer about 8:30 this morning. Cold chills went up my back when I got the message about 10 this morning. I just visited him Sunday.... I actually can't "talk" about it right now. But I wanted to text you that..."

She replied:
"I'm so very sorry to hear about your friend, and I truly understand how you feel. It was a "feeling" of urgency with sending you the message this morning--so much so that I stopped what I was doing to send the message to you at that time--definitely had a timing factor to it. As I said, I couldn't explain it but I know I was supposed to send you a message with that pic of him in the Niner Stand. I "feel" that he wants you to know he's there with you, and also to let you know that although he and your friend may not be here with you right now, that they are not "gone". He loved you and told me many times that you were the brother he never had--clearly there is a strong connection there. Thank you for letting me know--it confirms for me that I understood the message he was sending, and I think you do too. I'll include you and your friend's family in my prayers. Thank you Larke"

I sincerely hope Di does not mind me sharing this with y'all. And to be clear, I'm a religious person but not SUPER religious, but I am very spiritual. I don't understand what happened yesterday but I know something did.

Just thought I'd share that our close friendships made here are more important than perhaps we even know.

[LJ3]

It's a real thing, whatever part of us leaves our physical bodies sort of wraps all around us after physical death. it's comforting to me.

[Big Skyz]

I have had too many things like this happen in my life to believe in coincidence anymore. In fact as I grow older these things happen a lot more or I'm just getting better at recognizing it. Thank you for sharing that Captain as I know you probably debated whether to do so or not, but I for one really appreciate it.

[Bwana]

It is real and I believe.

Also, you seem to have caused my allergies to flair up for a few minutes. Darn watery eyes.

Stay strong Larke.

[BarryBobPosthole]

what Bwana said.

BKB

[LJ3]

I wonder... as the years stack up behind us do we become more open or aware that there really is more than just an earthly existence for us all? or is it really just a gradual lowering of our shields formed long ago in our youth, as we glance over the top of our battleworn protection that we can see farther than we thought possible.

Thoughts for the deer stand, I suppose. Or the ribber. Or just sittin' on a log.

Either way Cap'n, I hope your heart isn't too heavy for too long.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'm gonna say I'm more along the lines of what Larke said. I'm not a religious person, but I am spiritual if that makes sense. My brother once described his agnosticism as 'I know there's probably a higher power, but i just choose not to describe it with any of the existing christian labels.' That's probably as close as i'll e er come to describing it for myself too.

BKB

[Hombre]

Sorry for your loss Captain. It's a great story and along the sames lines that I believe. I would consider myself religious but questioning on the exact truths, and interpretations.

[jb]

Good friends are hard to come by, and harder to loose, but their memories last a life time.

[Nandy]

I don't understand what happened yesterday but I know something did.

Sometimes when we are in the middle of something as hard as what you are going thru it is difficult to get the connections going... Let me help you out, what happen yesterday is your one guardian angel Niner was letting you know now you have two guardian angels... Hope this helps.

Sorry for your loss... but come to think about it, it might not be a loss but a metamorphosis, love is energy and we know you cant destroy energy, just transform it...