9

In Loving Memory of Bryan Raymond Burch

Bryan’s Journal of Miracles
As told by his mom …

Eternal Flame Bryan R. Burch Eternal Flame

March 17, 1980 - January 9, 2004

Quick Jump Links:

List of those mentioned in the journal:

Mike - Bryan’s Father
Kathy - Bryan's Mom (me)
Amberly - Bryan’s Sister
Brendan - Amberly's Husband

Cris - Bryan’s Brother
"My Mom" - Bryan’s Grandma Mary
"My Dad" - Bryan’s Grandpa Ray
Sherry - Bryan’s aunt (my sister) who is clairvoyant
Darlene - Bryan’s aunt (my sister)
Debbie - Bryan’s aunt (my sister)
Lori - Bryan’s aunt (my sister)
Sherry S. - Bryan’s aunt (Mike’s sister)
Bev - Bryan’s aunt (Mike’s sister)
Barb - Bryan’s aunt (Mike’s sister)
Kelly - Bryan’s cousin (Darlene’s daughter, my niece)
Joe - Bryan’s cousin (Sherry S’s son who passed away a few years ago)

Jacob - Bryan's cousin (Lori's son)
Mike R. - Sherry’s husband (Bryan’s uncle through marriage)
Connie - my sister who died at birth
Bob & Ruth - Bryan’s Grandma and Grandpa (Mike’s parents, deceased)
Grandma & Grandpa LaGambo - Bryan’s Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa (Kathy’s grandparents, deceased)
Brooke - Bryan’s high school girlfriend and his first true love
Paul Becker - Lori’s friend from childhood who had been an addict all his life and died in his 40’s
Josh D. - Bryan’s childhood friend
Carol - Bryan’s friend from high school
Marge - my friend
Citte - my friend from California who met Bryan last summer
Chad - Bryan’s childhood friend
Ruthie - Our neighbor and long-time friend
Jessica - Bryan's Friend
Ric - Bryan's Friend
Jason (Jay) - Bryan's Friend
Ed - My business partner and long-time friend

 

Monday, January 12, 2009

Today Mike and I were at lunch when my sister Debbie called me with a strange message.  She said she had just gotten a message from -- she thought -- Bryan.  Her cell phone had rung and the caller ID said "BRYAN" with a number she didn't recognize.  When she answered it, there was just static and no one was on the line.  She hung up and hit return call to see who it was but got a recording that the number was not in service.  Totally baffled by this, she called me to ask me if Bryan could do this and if I thought it was him.  I told her he absolutely could do something like this but it was odd that he would call her out of the blue like that.  So I asked her if the date was significant in any way.  Her father-in-law had passed away a few years ago and I asked if today was possibly the anniversary of his passing.  She asked her husband and when he realized what the actual date was, he was astounded.  Today was his father's birthday!  I totally believe that he asked for Bryan's help in getting a message to his son on this special day.  Bryan would so totally do something like that!  He loves helping people from the other side get messages to their families.  He's done it so many times in the past ... he's like a messenger from heaven!

Eternal Flame

I was in my house watching all the birds around our bird feeders on our deck when I heard a loud hawk calling.  I opened the door and looked up and right over our deck were two hawks!  They circled once and flew off.  I felt so strongly that Bryan was there.

Later this week I was telling Amberly about all this while talking on my cell phone and twice while I was talking about Bryan I noticed two hawks sitting in the trees at different intervals along the road.  I felt his presence with me so after hanging up, I talked to him out loud for a few minutes.  Then I asked him to let me know he was truly the one on the phone that day with my sister by showing me another hawk right away.  I was driving in an area where I had seen hawks before and knew their favorite perching spots.  I looked in vain but saw no hawks along the road.  As I was nearing the end of the section of roadway where I might have any chance of seeing a hawk, I said out loud to Bryan, "Oh, well, I guess you're not really here.  It must just be my wishful thinking."   Right as I finished saying that, I was at a stop sign and felt a "nudge" to look to the left.  I almost died when I saw the biggest hawk I've ever seen sitting in the tree right beside the road not 10 feet away staring at me.  It tilted it's head and looked right at me as if to say "how could you doubt me?"  I was so shocked and surprised by this that my entire body started tingling and the hair on my neck stood up.  Tears flowed from my eyes as I stared at this proud bird watching me.  He must have thought I was a strange sight but how could he know the message he just gave me?  I was absolutely stunned!  What an amazing message from my son!


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

I received a very cool letter from T.J. today and wanted to share her experience with you (edited for content):

"How's it going out there in PA? I know you guys got the rain storm that we had last night. It had me up for about an hour last night. Things are good here. You know what was so cool though? I was on the highway and a song came on that reminded me of Bryan when a license plate came by with his birthdate on it. I thought maybe that wasn't really him, then I passed a lightpost with a huge hawk or falcon sitting on top of it. I couldn't tell which it was, but I laughed out loud because I got that same feeling from him that you said you had before. I heard him say, "You doubt me?" It was him! Kat, I thank God every day for Bryan and what he does. I miss the boy and I didn't even know him here. Every now and then I see his pictures from SoCal in the Summer of '02 and I think about how I was right there living in San Diego at the same time. Had I known, what I wouldn't have done to meet him. I love this kid, I love this kid, I love this kid! Kat, when I get to heaven the first thing I'm going to ask is where's Jesus and where's Bryan. I want to ask him, why me Bry? I need to know why we crossed paths. TTYS, Love, TJ"


Monday, March 16, 2009

This morning I was at the new store and received a call from a business associate, an advertising rep from one of the companies we advertise with, who has become a friend as well.  She told me she had bought something at a house sale recently -- something she wasn't even sure why she had bought -- until she looked closer at it today and realized it had a blue butterfly on it.  I had just recently shared Bryan's story with her and she had visited this website to read about him.  Now she felt sure that this glass wind chime with the blue butterfly was meant to be a gift from Bryan to me.  So she brought it over to the store.  Imagine my surprise when I noticed that -- in addition to the blue butterfly -- there was a GREEN flower on it!  AND it was in the shape of a pretty purse (those who know me know I am an avid collector of antique purses).  Anyway, this glass wind chime had every color of the rainbow in it -- orange, red, yellow, blue, green -- yet the flower petals were green.  Now I ask you ... how many GREEN flower petals have you ever seen???  And with tomorrow being St. Patrick's Day and Bryan's birthday, I felt this was a confirmation from him that yes, he did intend for this to find its way to me.

Eternal Flame

This afternoon I received an email from a friend of Bryan's who we have not heard from for several years.  He sent pictures of his little boy and talked of how much he missed Bryan.  The letter made me very happy yet sad at the same time as I realized how much Bryan's friends cared about him and how much had happened in their lives since his passing.  As tears filled my eyes, I was drawn to a TV screen we have in our store for our security monitor.  The screen normally changes every 5 or 6 seconds from one view of the store to another.  But now it was going haywire.  The picture was switching rapidly back and forth faster than I could count and going all staticky (sp?).  This is a brand new TV and has never done this before.  There was nothing in the store that was causing any interference yet the picture was completely fuzzy and just going berserk.  I couldn't help but laugh because I knew without a doubt that Bryan was there and he was letting me know he saw his friend's letter.  I strongly felt his presence and that he wanted me to say Hi to his friend for him.  Within a few minutes, the picture went back to normal and it stayed that way for the rest of the day. 


April 7, 2009 (entry added in July)

We were privileged to have a visit from Kat Tucci who stayed with us for a few days.  There were so many amazing signs from Bryan while she was here and I haven't had a chance to get it all on here but will do so over the next few weeks.  One of the most amazing was that today we got in the car to go to the new store, Simply Divine!   On the way, we pass through Cris and Kristen's neighborhood.  When we were right behind their house on the adjacent street, Kat noticed a herd of deer right in the middle of the road in front of us.  She grabbed her camera and I drove very slowly up to them.  They continued walking unhurriedly up the street all the way to the next cross street.  All the while Kat was taking pictures and I was amazed that they did not leave the road.  At the stop sign, I laughingly said I wonder if they'll go our way.   Sure enough, they all turned right in the same direction we were going.  Amazed, we followed slowly behind them.  At this point, though, I was worried because if they continued in our direction, they were going to rapidly run into a very busy intersection.  I said aloud that I hoped they didn't do this and asked Bryan to help out.  Sure enough, they left the road and turned into a yard and disappeared over the hill.  We both felt Bryan's presence and thanked him for the wonderful visit.


April 17, 2009

Today we saw a wild turkey walking around in our front yard ... all alone.  We do see wild turkeys in our area from time to time but they are always in a flock.  So this was an unusual occurrence and I immediately thought of Bryan, particularly since this was the 17th.  I took several pictures of her but here is the best one (click on it to see it enlarged).  The significance of this was to become evident with time ...


May 14, 2009

Today my contractor, Bud, who was working here on our kitchen remodeling, told us that the turkey we had seen in our yard last month was back and apparently had a nest in the shrub right under our family room bay window!  I couldn't believe it as there has been so much activity around our house.  Bud has sawhorses set up in the yard in front of the house and power saws plus our driveway is literally right there.  But I sneaked upon the bush while Mama Turkey was away and snapped a picture of the nest below:

Turkey Eggs

Mama Turkey sits on the eggs 24/7 only leaving them for one hour each afternoon to forage.  She doesn't mind us peeking in at her and when she is returning to the nest after foraging, she pretty much ignores us if we are outside and just goes about her business.  It's really been quite an interesting process.  We can't wait until the eggs hatch.  Hopefully we'll get to see the babies but a wildlife expert I consulted said that when the eggs hatch, the mother moves the babies out within 12-24 hours so chances of us seeing them leave are slim.  So we're going to keep a close watch.


May 25, 2009

Memorial Day Morning and a wonderful surprise from Bryan!  We've been checking on the nest every day since discovering the eggs in the hopes of seeing the babies.  Well, this morning when Mike went out to check on them, he came back in and told me that Mama Turkey was off the nest and sitting on the ground about 2 feet away.  I opened the bay window above the nest and looked down at her.  At that point, she got up and walked a few feet away then turned and lookdd at me.   At first I didn't see anything but then I noticed a movement.  There in the mulch where she had been sitting were SIX little fluffball baby turkeys!  I couldn't believe my eyes!  I ran to get my camera and took the pictures below:. 

Mama and Baby Turkeys
Click on images to see supersized close-ups

Baby Turkeys

As I continued to watch, I couldn't believe my eyes as Mama began a sweet little chirping sound and called her chicks to follow her.  She lead them through the grass (which was over their little heads!) and across the driveway.  One of the little fellows had trouble navigating the tall grasses but she waited in our center island beneath the shrubs for him to catch up, which he did.  They all nestled down with Mama for a few minutes and then continued on their trek.  Within an hour they were gone safely to the woods across the street.  Had this happened any other day but this holiday when I was home, we never would have seen them.  So I thanked Bryan for allowing us to have this wonderful opportunity.  I know it was a gift to him to us this Memorial Day holiday.  Here are some more pictures of the babies following Mama:

Babies Following Mama Turkey


June, 2009

One morning while I was swimming, I noticed two hawks through the treeline just circling far off over the horizon.  I immediately felt Bryan's presence and asked him to bring the hawks to me if he was truly with me.  I continued swimming and as I was floating on my back, there above me came the two hawks right over our pine trees and over the pool.  They circled the pool two or three times as I pointed them out to Mike.  I couldn't believe Bryan has confirmed to me that he was with us this morning but I never should have doubted.  He is very powerful and has shown us many times that he can somehow get hawks to give us his messages.  Amazing!


October, 2009

Wednesday, 10/24:  I was driving to work today when a hawk came screeching across my car from the left side up to the telephone wire on the right.  I couldn't miss it! Then when I got in to the store, our laser beam -- which announces when a customer crosses it by beeping -- went off several times. Each time I stood up to welcome the customer but I couldn't see anyone.  It's never malfunctioned before so I walked up to the front of the store.  I had the door propped open because it was such a nice day and thought perhaps a squirrel or small animal had wandered in.  Well, nothing was there and while I was looking at the spot, it went off again!  I was not close enough to set it off and I knew immediately that it was Bryan.  Immediately after that, when I went back to the desk, Sarah MacLachlan's "Angel" came on which was a big song from him in the early days after his passing and in the years since.  And if that wasn't enough, immediately after that came Josh Groban's "To Where You Are", again a major sign from him when he first passed.  I had chills!  He was SO with me for about the first hour of my workday. It was truly amazing!  And ... by the way ... the door beeper didn't go off again all day unless a customer actually was there.  It's never done that before and I know it was him.


Friday, 10/30: Today was my birthday and I felt strongly that Bryan was around. I had to drive out to Leetsdale to drop off some items being shipped to New Zealand from our antiques store -- about a 35 minute drive.  Anyway, when I got out of my car, something made me look down and right there at my feet was a shiny quarter.  I almost never find coins but last night we were just discussing this over my birthday cake last night and how Cris and Mike had found coins out in California earlier this month -- another story that I'll add later -- so this was especially pertinent being that I had said I never get coins.  Well, as I picked up the quarter, I then noticed a penny!  So I picked that up as well.  I looked around and didn't see anything else so I went and opened the back of my car to unload the boxes.  It was then that I noticed the car parked right next to me -- at first because of its resemblance to the white Impala Bryan used to drive.  The taillights were very similar even though this was a VW.  Anyway, what blew me away was the license plate -- it was a short number and the ONLY numbers visible were 0317!  Holy crap!  I almost did a dance right in the parking lot!  I immediately took a picture of it:

A minute later as I walked back toward my car, I noticed two more pennies on the ground in the same spot where the quarter had been a few seconds earlier.  There is no way I could have missed them as I had looked around pretty good after finding the quarter and first penny.  So I knew without a doubt that these really were pennies from heaven.  Thanks, Bryan, for a wonderful, wonderful birthday gift! I love you!


 


Quick Jump Links:



Note:  If you have a story or experience with Bryan, please email it to me and I will add it to his journal.  These incidents have given our family great peace and joy in knowing that Bryan is still with us, if only in spirit, and will live forever in our hearts.

Copyright © CompuTrends


[Web Design by CompuTrends]