My Uncle Ted was one of the coolest people I ever met. Motorcycles & music were a huge part of his life & knowing him made me feel cool by association. He lived his life in a way that seemed carefree; he was easy to laugh and never seemed to have too many commitments. He spent a few years living in Amsterdam while in the Air Force, upon returning he lived with my grandparents temporarily. I personally loved this as he let me go listen to music in his room when he was at work; he had great taste in music and I spent a lot of time laying on his couch listening to Pink Floyd and the likes. A super cool moment for me was when “99 Red Balloons” became popular in the United States. I got to seem fantastically cool as I already knew the song, my Uncle having brought back the album from Amsterdam.
Ted died when he was in his 40’s. He never married, never had kids and somehow that seemed right. I know as a kid I never imagined Ted actually getting old, and doing real adult things. When he passed I got the job of putting together a picture memory board of his life. I was handed a large stack of pictures and said to put it together somehow. A lot of the people I didn’t even know, as my Uncle had been in a local Motorcycle club. (This is Northern New England, so Motorcycle club does not equal Sons of Anarchy…LOL). With the stack of pictures in hand and a great love for my Uncle I set out to put together a glimpse of him through photos. I knew he loved music and decided I needed a sound track for my venture. As I went over to my collection of CD’s and began to scan them, I clearly heard him say “Slow Hand”. As tears ran down my cheeks I grabbed the Eric Clapton CD. I put together his memory board listening a fitting soundtrack for my Uncles life as he picked out what pictures he wanted highlighted, and told me a bit about the people in the pictures that I didn’t know. When the day of his funeral arrived I remember standing outside the funeral home & watching as motorcycle after motorcycle arrived…a troupe of Harley Davidsons filled with the people out of my Uncles memories. Having shared the memories with him and listened to the accompanying music, I couldn’t help but associate these people with the songs.
Music is one of the most memorable things we experience in life. It effects us on a soul level, bringing out emotional response. It is also one of the most common ways in which our Beloved Dead tries to communicate with us. People are always telling me of experiences they have while listening to the radio and feeling the presence of their Beloved Dead. The Dead also talk to me about music, sometimes giving me the name of exact bands and songs and sometimes just the genre. I am not a country music fan, so unless it’s Johnny Cash or Patsy Cline I am unlikely to get the band let alone the song….but they certainly try. When a song comes on the radio and we feel the presence of our loved one in Spirit they are taking a hand. They are not making the DJ play their special song at exactly the right moment…but more they are stepping in at the moment the song is being played. They are taking advantage of the fact that you are already thinking of them and putting their energy into the song so that they can be felt more deeply. This is still significant communication, but it is always good to be realistic on how they are doing it. Remember our loved ones in Spirit are often checking in on us. They are being opportunistic and taking advantage of the music to show you they are there. A great way to connect with them yourself is to sit quietly and listen to their favorite songs, invite them to join you. Then be open to the feelings and energy you experience. You can feel the difference between a deep memory and a visitation, you just need to trust. I think its time for me to dig out some Pink Floyd and visit my Uncle Ted…I certainly miss him calling me Kid and giving the biggest, back breaking hugs around. I hope you enjoyed the read folks.
spreading love-salicrow
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