There's No Place Like Home ~ Once Upon A Time

This is the 6th instalment in the Once Upon a Time series. 

To view previous instalments in this series click here. 

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Though large like a castle the place the princess would call home for the next few months.. was far from the comfy interiors one would find in a castle.

No luxurious guest suite in the guest wing ...

The  hospital ICCU, would be the princess's home for the foreseen future.

Once when a friend called the nurse's station and asked the difference between ICCU and CCU - he was told patients in ICCU are closer to the other side , while in CCU are closer to living.

When her eyes were open the only things the princess saw, were passing hospital staff

and doctors, nurses, respiratory technicians ...

there were no windows...just a few beds, separated by curtains (which were often pulled back- open-), much like what you see in emergency wards. Due to the seriousness of each patient's injuries, the ratio was one nurse to one patient.   

Though the pain and inability to move her body - other than her left hand - should have been an indication that her injuries were most serious, the princess only wanted to return to her little castle. The injury to her brain did not process the seriousness of her condition. She would need  be able to breath on her own,before she would be moved to ICC. 

Once in ICC, she would need to learn to eat again (starting with liquids for swallowing and gradually moving to purée foods). Still unable to feed herself, her sister who had been constantly by her side since that first day ... would feed her, and at times let her try and feed herself. When it was determined that she would be able to take in food the feeding tube was removed and the princess was graduated to a regular hospital room.

The hospital room brought a whole new series of learning~ sitting up and learning to transfer from bed to wheelchair. 

The princess, would also need to learn basics like speaking

Using the royal throne...

Everyone, kept saying she would get to go home soon! If she could get through each of these steps. So, even though the progress was slow, confusing and painful the princess gave it all she could. With dreams that she would soon be home...

There's No Place Like Home!!

 Will the princess get to go home? Tune in next time for a continuation ... of

Angels and Miracles

Never did I feel the hand of God and the presence of his helping Angels more than when I lay helplessly in the hospital trying to comprehend what people meant by “You are a true Miracle, doctors cannot explain how you are still here despite the numerous injuries you sustained to vital organs including a closed head injury”. Of course I have always believed in God and his Angels, but to have something so profound occur in one’s life ~ to know with their whole being that God really was the reason they were still alive and that his Angels now were around one’s soul and body, protecting it, willing it to heal and letting me know I was not alone; is something that to this day is magical.
Looking back now and recalling things that at the time I did not connect to God’s protection and his Angels. The orderly that was always around (no matter the shift, it seemed) to give the nurses a hand, each time a difficult and painful event occurred. He would gently stroke my forehead and with his eyes he would let me know that all was going to be fine. I remember at the time thinking ~ this is weird, but at the same time I felt a feeling of being safe. When I was able to speak and asked about him (as he had not been around in some time), I was told that no orderly ever assists nurses. Yet, I saw him, felt his comforting touch and warm eyes.

The Angel's Message (image credit)

I remember hearing a very, very soft voice saying “He will always be with you, he will never abandon you”, this I heard when someone very dear to my heart was visiting me and telling me to be strong, that I had nothing to worry about except getting stronger. I recall thinking you say that now – but you will leave me and I will be alone. At that time I thought this voice was referring to my dear friend. Now I realize the voice was telling me that no matter what, I would not be alone, God would always be with me.

After being home from the hospital almost 6 months; other than going to medical appointments and the very rare time to friends’ homes I had no desire to leave my home. I felt isolated from the harsh world outside. I had no idea who I was now and what life would be like for me. Basically I had given up on living and was settling for existing. Of course HE had other plans for me ~ I just didn’t know it yet.

Growing up Catholic, I have always believed in a higher power, I call him God because that is the name given him in my corner of the world. Many people ask me if I was or am I now, a very religious person. I would have to say that I am a Spiritual person ~ someone who believes in HIM with all her being ~ not for what I have been taught but for what I have seen, felt and witnessed.

May there be a miracle in your life today 

and  may you have the eyes to see it.

A Guardian Angel Prayer for Friends

Guardian Angel,

watch over those whose names you can read in my heart.

Guard over them with every care

and make their way easy and their labours fruitful.

Dry their tears if they weep;

sanctify their joys;

raise their courage if they weaken;

restore their hope if they lose heart,

their health if they be ill,

truth if they err,

repentance if they fail.

Amen

Angels are messengers of God in the Hebrew Bible (translating מלאך), the New Testament and the Quran. The term "angel" has also been expanded to various notions of "spiritual beings" found in many other religious traditions. Other roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings, and carrying out God's tasks.

According to Kabbalah, there are four worlds and our world is the last world: the world of action (Assiyah). Angels exist in the worlds above as a 'task' of God. They are an extension of God to produce effects in this world. After an angel has completed its task, it ceases to exist. The angel is in effect the task. This is derived from the book of Genesis when Abraham meets with three angels and Lot meets with two. The task of one of the angels was to inform Abraham of his coming child. The other two were to save Lot and to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.[8]

Famous angels and their tasks:[9]
• Malachim (translation: messengers), general word for angel
• Michael (translation: who is like God), performs God's kindness
• Gabriel (translation: the strength of God), performs acts of justice and power
• Raphael (translation: God Heals), God's healing force
• Uriel (translation: God is my light), leads us to destiny
• Seraphim (translation: the burning ones), protects the gates to the Garden of Eden
• Malach HaMavet (translation: the angel of death)
• HaSatan (translation: the prosecutor), brings people's sins before them in the heavenly court
• Chayot HaKodesh (translation: the holy beasts)
• Ophanim (translation: arbits) Astrological Influence
• HaMerkavah (translation: the chariot), transports God's glory

Definitions from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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Our Prayers are always answered!

When speaking with people about my survival, I often hear"Wow, You are a Miracle! Why do you think you survived?" I always attribute my still being here on this earth to the hundreds of prayers that went out for me across the world ~ by a variety of cultures, beliefs and faiths; and that my work here was yet to be completed. Often people will then say to me " We prayed so hard for our daughter, son, grandchild ect. to recover, why weren't our prayers answered?" ~

The first few times I was responded to with the "why weren't our prayers answered?" I surprised myself by saying "You know (fill in name or relation here), completed their purpose here and though they could have stayed it was their time to return "Home". Had (fill in name or relation here),  stayed everyone around them would miss out on the lessons they have yet to learn to complete their purpose. So, your prayer for a Miracle has been answered ~ because (fill in name or relation here), so loved you and those around you, that they did not let their EGO or Greed (for leaving behind all of this earthly temptations) -but choose their Love, for you and to allow you to complete your purpose, so you too can return "Home". So its only temporary that you will be apart.

~ These words just seemed to flow out of my mouth with such ease and without thought. Strangely no one ever took offense. They either looked at me and said "Oh..." or "So, I'll see them again".
Now I need to tell you, that prior to my accident ~ I was not particularly religious, I have always believed in God, but I would have described myself more as Spiritual. What I experienced either at the scene of the accident, during surgeries, while in coma or when I was coming out of the coma I can tell you without a hesitatation or doubt that the place "Heaven" most certainly exists. And without faith, love,belief and purpose fullfilled ~ it will be a very long journey.

Our prayers are always answered, sometimes not in the manner in which we Want .. but in a manner of what we Need.


images: google search

An Answer from God ~ and his helping Angels

Winter had retreated , spring had come and gone and summer was now upon us, with its glorious warmth and burst of colour that only can be found in nature. Nine months had passed since that evening when in a blink of an eye my life had changed. My days were filled with medical appointments that left me with little energy afterwards. I recall thinking to myself , now what will my life will be like. It was becoming clear that I would not be returning to my corporate career anytime soon; nor would I be enjoying this summer on the beach in the latest bikini.

In the preceding months I had found that my faith had taken a leap forward – after all God had allowed me to see there really is a wonderful place waiting our arrival once our journey here is complete. My journey was not complete – so I chose to come back. But what was my purpose? Why had I chosen to come back?

Since being home my outings consisted of doctor, specialists and rehab appointments, I really had no desire to socialize and when I was dragged out by caring, loving friends – I found the people and the noise overwhelming. So when I woke up feeling edgier than normal – or what normal had become to me. I had this incredible need to get out of the house. My friend I came by and took me to the Beaches, for an hour or so. When she dropped me off I still had this need to not be in the house. I called many friends, but they were all busy. R was going to be using my backyard for a BBQ that evening – but I had no interest in attending. My friend F called back and said that she would wait to do her paper work tomorrow. She was concerned because I had shown no interest in getting out of the house, since I was home from hospital, so she wanted to make sure I got out. It was now July.

F picked me up around 9:00 p.m. – as we got into the car, she said I looked good and we would go to Yorkville (Rodeo Dr. of Toronto) for coffee. I objected I didn’t want to go there until I looked more like me, and my elbow was fixed. But she would not listen… off in the direction of Yorkville she drove. She made her way to Hazelton Ave. to park on the street. As we made our way, she wanted to check out Café Norvos , and she other places as we sent along before deciding where to go. So around the block we went, instead of cutting through the alley stores.

As we went along, I wasn’t paying much attention to people, hoping that I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew. I didn’t want them to see me in this state. As, we walked I looked up and staring at me was this man, sitting at a small table in the middle of the sidewalk (in the summer you will find many gypsies set-up small tables on the street to do palm reading and card readings). His eyes locked with mine, I recall feeling confused, his eyes were familiar – yet I knew I did not know this person. As I walked past, he opened his mouth – and said “well, since you’re hear you might as well stay and listen” I found this very strange, who was this stranger speaking to me, yet he seemed so familiar. I finally found the words to say “ I don’t know you why would I want to listen?” by this time F who had taken a few steps forward noticed I wasn’t beside her and she looked back and returned to where I was. All of a sudden she is speaking to this other guy who I had not noticed before. I looked back at the man sitting, saw he was wearing a ring … and thought what a jerk. I wanted to leave, but F was talking with the other guy, so I did my best to occupy myself looking at passersby.

The woman must have finished with the guy sitting, because now, F and the other guy were saying it was my turn. After a little discussion and F saying she was treating I had no choice but to sit. When the woman finished, (she was so bang on about, my accident, life etc.) I was ready to escape, then out of the blue the woman said “ you should go for ice-cream,” as we looked at each other – someone suggested Leterri’s for coffee, as we turned around in the direction of the café, the woman, her table her chairs – were gone. Not only gone but there was no sign of her having been there at all, we walked to the café in silence.

As we sipped our coffee, I learned that the man had lost his wife 2 months earlier in a single car accident on the 400 and that I was the first woman that he had spoken to (other than friends or family members), since her passing. By this time I was getting really exhausted and wanted to leave, everyone agreed that it was late and we should be going. The other guy suggested that since the man and I had suffered such life altering events that it may help us both to keep in touch and speak with each other - before I could respond F was volunteering my phone number.

On the way home F explained to me that since the passing of his wife the man had basically been on suicide watch. Early that day the man had accompanied his friend to the cemetery (it was the anniversary of the passing of the guy’s mother). The guy told F. that he prayed to his Mother – to help the man move forward and not give up on life.

Over the next few months I would stay on the phone with the man for hours at a time{I was still pretty much house bound, so I had no where to go}  – listening to him as he tried to go into his house and make his way to his room. I listen mostly and tried to encourage him not to give-up on life. Sometimes his friend would drive him to my home and we sit outside in the backyard and talk for hours. He told me that the night after we meant that he went home and for the first time he was able to put the key in the door –went upstairs to his wife’s office and spoke to her picture most of the night.

When I spoke to my sister about this, she said that perhaps I had been given my answer – I needed to come back to save this man from taking his life.

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2)