Dreaming With The Departed On Mother's Day
by Janice Matturro on 05/12/13
For decades, my Great Aunt Lilly served as the matriarch of
my mother’s family. She was also
visionary: She shopped at restaurant supply stores long before Costco was a
twinkle in Wall Street’s eye, and she built her custom-designed bridal dress
business literally with her own two-hands, starting out with only $250.00.
My Aunt Lilly had a keen eye. She never used prefabricated dress patterns
to make her gowns. She made her own sewing patterns. She simply would eyeball your measurements
and then with a snipping of the scissors viola! a custom handmade pattern. From there she spun her magic in fabric, beads,
pearls, sequins and gold.
My mother was extremely close to my Great Aunt Lilly, as were many of my mother’s sisters and cousins. In fact, during my teenage years, my parents bought a house on the same block in the same town, Merrick, NY, where my Great Aunt Lilly had recently moved her family.
While living in Merrick, my Great Aunt shared many pearls of wisdom over a dish of pasta and a dash of humor. One of the most valuable lessons that I learned from my Great Aunt Lilly was that success was in my hands. I realized early on, in my teens, that whatever success I might achieve in life – personally or professionally – was going to be entirely up to me. No excuses. It was always “Go-Time” with my Great Aunt Lilly. I have never forgotten this lesson, and I chose it as my Welcome Page to my professional hypnotism website: www.theinnerworkshop.com in honor of my Great Aunt Lilly.
My Great Aunt Lilly lived a long life. The fabric of my Great Aunt Lilly’s life was weaved, as every life is, through personal tragedy and personal triumph. However, it was the strength of her spirit, unfailing optimism, and sense of joy that uniquely colored it her own.
The last time I had the chance to see my Great Aunt before she died was at the hospital, as she neared death. Death did not weaken my Great Aunt Lilly’s spirit. As sick as she was, she determinedly shared, one last time, the importance of living one’s life to the fullest, fearlessly, and with joy and in love – no matter what. I know her departing words were primarily directed to my sister, whose heart and life were shattered when my sister’s husband passed away unexpectedly.
A few years after my Great Aunt Lilly’s death, my mother grew ill and frail. About six-months’ before my own mother’s passing, my Great Aunt Lilly paid me a powerful and unexpected visit in a dream. I promised to share this dream, and I can think of no better day than to do so than on Mother’s Day:
March 3, 2008.
My Great Aunt Lilly appears in a white flowing gown. She appears to be in her late thirties or early forties, and her hair is golden blonde, framing her face like a halo. She is holding a thick, beautiful white book. She says, “You know, you only have one chance to do it right, Janice.” And then she shows me my mother’s tombstone. On it is written: Sept. 1, 2008. I know exactly what she means. Time is running out, and this September 1st is to be my mother’s last birthday on earth.
[What person would be better qualified to assign the task of gently preparing me to face up to the ultimate truth that my mother was going to die -- and soon? And what person would serve better to deliver it with a sense of style and a dash of creative humor, as you can see from the rest of my Great Aunt’s dream conversation.]
My Great Aunt Lilly then begins to pull out white file pages
from the thick, white book she is holding and clips them to the top of the
book. I notice the files are written in gold.
My Great Aunt continues her conversation: “You
know, she has been checking into things.
Do you want to see what she has been checking into?”
“Sure,”
I respond.
As my Great Aunt flips through the files, she reveals some of the things that my mother has been looking into. “She’s checked into Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed.” I found that a bit funny. “She really checked on them?” “Yes, indeed,” my Aunt confirms.
“Do you want to know what she has learned about you?” I hesitate before responding, because it suddenly dawns on me in my dream that My Great Aunt Lilly is looking through the Akashic Records. “I guess.” I respond. “Well, then . . . ” Aunt Lilly says. And with that short intro she holds up a photograph of my sister and me. We are standing together, and I am smiling. My Great Aunt Lilly says, “You are a healer. Your mother wants you to take your sister into your healing process.” And then she firmly repeats and ends the dream with this statement: “Your sister needs to be brought into your healing process.”
As I awaken from this dream, I realize that the healing process, after my mother’s death, would involve not only my sister’s healing but mine, too.
September 1st was my mother’s last birthday, here with us. My mother passed on November 20th, 2008. I did take my sister into my healing process, and she is happily building a new life with a new man, engaged to be married.
My Great Aunt Lilly continues to make her presence known to me in my dreams. In one particular dream, soon after my mother’s passing, my Great Aunt Lilly revealed to me that she and her sisters, including my mother’s mother, were helping my mother to recuperate from her passing. In this dream I saw my mother sitting on a beach blanket at the shore, enjoying the sun and the fresh air. My mother was surrounded in love by the strong women, who loved her: My mother’s grandmother, my mother’s mother and her sisters: Lilly, Josephine, Rosie. They were all alive and well.
I am posting a picture of my mother and my Great Aunt Lilly in their youth. I am doing so because they were forever young in heart and soul and in love with life, even when old and ill; and it is this message that speaks the loudest to me today.
