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

 

This page is to document the many "signs" and "visits" that Bryan has made to us since his passing ... miracles to those of us who have received them. The one thing that makes these miracles more than just coincidences is the "feeling" that comes over you when these occur. Everyone has expressed the same sensation of warmth, peace, and love that flows through you when they happen and the "knowing" that you are experiencing a true miracle. Unfortunately, this feeling cannot be captured on paper, yet it is so strong and so overwhelming that it makes the occurrence believable beyond a doubt. Keep that in mind when reading these because that feeling happened to each person for every one of these instances ... and as we heard three times from different sources within the first two days of his passing ...

"Remember ... there are no coincidences!"

Quick Jump Links:

List of those mentioned in the journal:

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

Sunday, August 1

This morning when Mike and I were leaving for church, I noticed a very large feather in our driveway. I told Mike it looked like a hawk feather, but we were running late, so I had to wait until we returned from church to check. Meanwhile, once we got to the church, I found another feather lying in the alcove above Bryan's grave. I picked up the feather and took it down to his niche and placed it in the flowers we brought for him today. Upon returning home, I was able to get the feather from the driveway and it definitely appears to be a hawk feather. As I have often read and seen John Edward mention on TV, feathers are a HUGE sign and Bryan has used them before. So I felt strongly that these signs were from him. As I was driving to work, I called Sherry to tell her about it and noticed a hawk flying right above my car. To me, this was another validation. A few miles further, a huge shadow of a hawk appeared on the roadway right in front of my car. I tried to look up to see it but I couldn't see anything because of the trees. When I arrived at work, as I was walking across the driveway to enter the building, a feather came blowing up the road right in front of me. I tried to catch it but it kept getting away from me. When I turned back toward my doorway, there was ANOTHER feather lying there in front of the door. I was able to pick that one up. I opened the door and turned to call Sandy in when I saw yet ANOTHER feather lying in the same spot the one I just picked up had been. Now I knew this was getting crazy and I knew Bryan was doing it. So I bent to pick it up only to notice another feather a few feet away and a butterfly was dancing around very close by. Gathering that feather, too, I went inside the store and felt blessed that Bryan was giving me so many strong signs today. But he wasn't finished yet!!! About half way through the afternoon, I noticed a little fluffy white feather lying right in front of our checkout counter beneath a chair. Now I know that the feather was NOT there all day because I am constantly picking up things on the floor that customers drop, etc. And this area of our store is nowhere near the door, so it could not have just blown in from outside. I just smiled and added it to my collection. Amazingly, as I left the store, I found another feather right near my car. A total of 7 feathers in one day!!!! To me, this was utterly phenomenal. I also felt Bryan's presence with me all day ... I think he is really excited -- as we all are -- that August is finally here and vacation is not far away. As he has told several mediums we have had readings with, he will be with us in California, and I have no doubt now that he really will!


Monday, August 2

This morning, Mike found a feather on the trail while he was walking. Since all the feathers I received yesterday, he was asking Bryan to send him one and was quite pleased when he did. We have added it to our growing feather collection in Bryan's room ;-)

Eternal Flame

This afternoon, a beautiful blue and black butterfly landed next to the porch where Amberly was sitting. She called Mike out and he was able to take several pictures of it with his cell phone camera. Both felt that Bryan had sent it for them.


Tuesday, August 3

Today Lori was here cleaning and I was talking with her from the kitchen as I was sorting through some papers. All of a sudden, I noticed a humming noise coming from the family room where Lori was. I went in and began looking to see where the noise was coming from. To my utter amazement, the VCR was rewinding a video that was in it even though the VCR was NOT TURNED ON! I asked Lori is she had bumped it and she told me that no, she was on the other side of the room and hadn't gone anywhere near it. I knew this was true as I could see the VCR from the kitchen and she had not been near it. The tape was one that I had in there about a month ago when I was recording a John Edward show. It had not been used since and was off when all of a sudden, it started to rewind itself! I just smiled and said "Hi BRYAN!" because I knew it was him.

Eternal Flame

Darlene had some amazing signs from Bryan today. First, a beautiful yellow Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly landed on the balcony and stayed for a visit. Secondly, Megan had a large blue butterfly, about 4" wide, fluttering around her and her friends as they played. But the most obvious sign was the last one. Rod called Darlene out onto the balcony to see a huge hawk perched on the edge of their roof less than 10 feet away! She was amazed that the hawk was so close and that it sat there looking at them and the kids playing below and didn't frighten or fly off. She said they had never seen hawks even overhead in their area and to see this one right above their balcony was shocking to say the least! Without a doubt, she knew it was a sign from Bryan. As she then told me, whenever she gets a sign from Bryan, he always validates it in threes. I have noticed this myself ... if I get a sign, it will usually be followed up by another pretty quickly or he will do something else at the exact moment that I am relaying the sign I got to someone ... just his way of confirming that what we think was him really was him!


Wednesday, August 4

Today Amberly and I were out shopping and as we approached Costco, a large hawk flew directly over our car. As we parked, it flew over some trees and then returned with ANOTHER hawk! We just laughed because we knew Bryan was with us. Inside the store, Amberly was drawn to a showcase where she found a beautiful blue butterfly necklace. She felt strongly that Bryan had lead her to it and even helped pay for it ... last week, she had been in a Saturn car dealership and ended up talking another customer into purchasing a Saturn. In appreciation, the dealership sent her a $50 check which just happened to arrive today!

Eternal Flame

This morning, I had gone to the dentist for a routine cleaning. While I was in the chair, Billy Joel's voice came on the music system singing "Only the Good Die Young." It caught my attention and I thought to myself how appropriate it was ... I couldn't help but think that Bryan was such a good person and this song really could be about him. Minutes later, another song caught my attention. It was "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight" by Cutting Crew. Two songs in as many minutes about dying?? Coincidence?? I don't think so ........ just Bryan letting me know he's nearby.


Thursday, August 5

I awoke in the wee hours of the morning from a sound sleep ... I wasn't sure what woke me up, but as I always do when I wake in the middle of the night for no reason, I look at the clock to see if the time has any significance. It was exactly 3:17 a.m. .... Bryan's birthday! I just smiled and said hi to him and went back to sleep. I think he was just wanting me to know he was there.

Eternal Flame

On the way to work, I called Sherry and was telling her about all the signs Bryan has been giving us. She began telling me about signs he's been giving her as well. She's been trying to sell her house for months now and has asked Bryan to help her ... as she was telling me about one of the signs he gave her, a hawk flew right over my car. I told her that he was validating the sign she received. Today she has received two offers on her house and she believes Bryan is answsering her prayers. Then -- a few miles further along the road -- I told her about Amberly finding the butterfly necklace yesterday and two MORE hawks came soaring out of nowhere right toward my car. All in all, by the time I got to work, 8 hawks had appeared to me at various points in the conversation, always pertaining to something about Bryan that we were saying at that moment. By tonight, the house was sold. And one of the offers that came in had a butterfly on the paper ... another validation from Bryan!

Eternal Flame

Mike was changing sheets today and was totally shocked to find a quarter UNDER the sheets lying on the mattress! No way could that have "fallen" there by accident. We believe Bryan had a hand in it ;-)


Friday, August 6

Amberly was in town today and had parked her car on a busy street. Upon returning to her car, she could see a black mark on the side of her door. Assuming someone had hit her and left a scrape, she was quite upset until she got close enough to see that it wasn't a scrape at all .... it was a FEATHER sticking to the door of her car!!! When she lifted it off, she said it was like static electricity was holding it there. Needless to say, she knew it was sign from Bryan and she tucked it in with his picture that she has on her visor. I also found two feathers lying by my door when I arrived at the shop today.


Saturday, August 7

Tonight a perfect example of synchronicity occurred. As Mike and I were watching a John Edward show that we recorded, he had a guest on the program. It was Dr. Brian Weiss, author of the book "Many Lives, Many Masters." Ironically, I have JUST started reading this very book this morning! Imagine my surprise! As I relayed this to Mike, Amberly was in the kitchen perusing a catalog and overheard me. She yelled out to me to pause the program, that she had something she wanted to show me. Then she brought in the catalog she was browsing through ... at the exact moment when I told Mike about the book I just started to read being written by the man on the tv, she had turned to a page showing the stone plaque with the verse about the stairway to heaven on it that we have on our mantel beside the little urn of Bryan's ashes. Definition of synchronicity: ... Coincidence of events that seem to be meaningfully related .

Eternal Flame

It also seems as if Bryan is really getting into the real estate thing. In addition to helping Sherry sell her house, it seems he wants a hand in helping Darlene BUY a house. Today she went to look at a house that she is seriously considering buying. As she was walking through the house, she noticed a plaque on the wall with a butterfly picture on it. She immediately felt that Bryan was letting her know he approved! She's hoping that it was also a sign from him that she will get the house and her offer will be accepted. We'll have to wait and see ....


Thursday, August 12

Today when I arrived at the store, I went around to Sandy's door to let her out and a feather was lying on the ground right next to the door. I have been finding feathers every single day this week, always either right by my car door on the ground or on the ground in front of me where I'm walking. I have been keeping all of them and I'm getting quite a collection!


Friday, August 13

Today Marge was in the store and had an interesting story to relate about the weekend. Her family had gone camping near a lake and when they went fishing, which was Bryan's absolute favorite pastime, Valerie pointed toward an island out in the lake and yelled for her mom to look out there. Marge said the air was full of hawks! Valerie counted 28, give or take a few, in all!!!! Marge told me that she had been thinking about Bryan that same morning and wondering why he hadn't "shown up" as he usually does when they are out camping with signs of hawks and/or butterflies. She said when she saw all the hawks, she figured he heard her wondering and answered it big time! Shortly after she relayed this story to me and we were still talking about Bryan, an elderly woman came into my store selling some old jewelry. In one of the bags was a beautiful enameled hawk pin with a huge blue square jewel suspended from its talons! Marge saw it and remarked that Bryan was sending me a sign that he knew we were talking about him. Needless to say, I bought the pin!

Eternal Flame

Mike drove up to Penn State yesterday to bring Cris home for vacation. They were coming home tonight because Cris had his last final late this afternoon. Cris called me this evening to tell me that after the final was over, he was walking with a friend and talking about how difficult the test had been when all of a sudden, he glanced to his right and there was a HUGE hawk on the ground less than 15 feet away from him! He was so shocked because he had never seen a hawk around campus on the ground or even in the air in all the time he's been there. And this one was just a few feet away. He was going to try to get a picture of it with his cell phone camera, but when he walked closer, the hawk flew up into the tree. Cris said it just sat there looking at him and watching him. Since the tree camouflaged him too much for a good picture, Cris decided to put the camera away and just enjoy the moment. He felt strongly that Bryan was sending him a message ... and I know he was!

Eternal Flame

My mom and Jacob were out today and Jacob found a dollar bill on the floor in a store they were in. When he bent to pick it up, he noticed there was a rack of blue butterflies right above it! He told his grandma that it must have been a gift from Bryan!


Saturday, August 14

Today my Mom went with Lori and her family to dinner. At a red light, Mom looked out the window and saw a hawk perched on the electrical wire right beside the car. She was totally amazed and immediately recognized it as a sign from Bryan ... she says she has never seen a hawk that close before. As a final validation, after dinner as they were leaving the restaurant, a Bee Gees song came on. Bryan often gives Bee Gees songs to my Mom when she is out as they are her favorite group and she recognizes these as signs from him. I was very happy when she told me about it ... knowing he is around all of us makes my heart fill with peace and love. I am even more grateful that they are all so aware of his reaching out to them .... many people would miss the signs, but I'm pleased that they recognize them and know he's around them all.


Sunday, August 15

Today was the first day of our long-awaited vacation to California. At the airport, I remarked to Mike that I was surprised that I hadn’t had any signs yet from Bryan that he was going to be with us. We had an early flight, so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity, but I thought he would find a way. As we got onto the plane, the first stewardess who saw us looked at me and exclaimed about my butterfly pin. Before I could even say anything, she began showing me all of her butterfly accessories … pins, hair clips, purse, wallet, key chain, travel bag, and on and on. I told her happily that she had no idea that she had just made our day! I asked if she would be in coach and she said no, she was in first class. During the flight, I took one of the cards I have for Bryan’s website and wrote her a little note explaining that the butterflies were a BIG sign from my son and that I could never thank her enough. I planned to give it to her as I left the plane but she ended up coming back to our section during the flight for something, so I gave her the card then. After she read it, she came back to talk to us and told me her husband had passed away last October and that a friend had pointed out to her that a butterfly was a sign from him. I told her that he was probably giving her many other signs as well and that Bryan probably wanted us to connect so that she could read his Journal and learn the other ways that he is reaching out to her. We both felt that we were meant to meet. She ended up giving us courtesy drinks, headsets, and a bottle of Merlo for Mike on the way out! It was an amazing experience that we will be forever grateful for … and what better way could Bryan have let us know he was with us all the way!

Later this afternoon, we were checked into our hotel and were lying by the pool relaxing. Cris asked Mike what time it was and he said 4:20. Amberly immediately mentioned the irony of that … 420 was always Bryan’s “number” that he used in all his screen names or passwords or anything he needed a number for. I asked Mike if he was just guessing or if his watch said 4:20. He said it was a digital watch and the numbers were exactly 4:20. A few minutes later -- literally -- Amberly pointed out a white feather floating gently down into the pool area. We watched it as t angled across where we sat and landed in the center of the pool. She was able to retrieve it and we kept it as another sign from him. A few minutes after that, Amberly and Cris went up to the room to get ready for dinner. As soon as they left, a radio that someone had playing by the pool started playing “Lion Sleeps Tonight” … a song Bryan has used many, many times as a sign to us and others. Mike and I both just chuckled in amazement. In the space of half an hour, he gave each one of us in turn an acknowledgment of his presence. There’s no doubt in my mind that he is here with us!


Monday, August 16

Today was Disneyland! We had a wonderful time and Bryan amazed me at one point with a really obvious sign. I had just said out loud to Cris, “I wonder if Bryan is here and what he thinks of all this” referring to the California Adventure part of Disneyland -- a place that he and I didn’t get to go to two years ago when he and I were out there. I no sooner said it then Amberly pointed out three huge birds -- not sure if they were huge crows, hawks, or what -- that flew right over us and then off over the treetops. They were the only birds that size that I saw all day! But what really made us happy was that -- as Bryan had “told” me in dreams I’ve had -- he showed up in one of the pictures! The first ride we went on in the California section was the Tower of Terror, a 40 story high elevator drop that I was terrified to go on. At the very top, the doors open and you get a five-second view of the height you are up to. They also take a picture of the terror-stricken looks on your faces! When we looked at the pictures back at the hotel, there was a very visible spirit orb in the only empty seat in the car -- seat #3! Spirit orbs are white hazy round spots that can show up on photos and are quite rare. I was elated -- but not surprised -- that Bryan was there and in his birth month’s seat number. He probably wanted us to know without a doubt that he wouldn’t miss that ride for the world or sharing the experience with us. The picture is amazing and one we will all cherish! Click here to see it.


Tuesday, August 17

Today we went to Knott's Berry Farm. The first sign we had from Bryan was when Mike and I were coming off of the Sky Cabin, we clearly heard "Lion Sleeps Tonight" playing somewhere in the park. Then, when the four of us went to have lunch, we ate at a diner type restaurant with a 50's theme. During our meal, "Lion Sleeps Tonight" played on their jukebox. And as we were leaving, we found FOUR coins on the floor right under our table, one for each of us! What a wonderful way for Bryan to let us know he was with us.


Wednesday, August 18

Today was the day we left Buena Park and moved to Laguna Beach. Mike and I went to pick up the rental car and as we were waiting for the car to be brought up, I noticed the song "More Than Words" playing on the music system. I pointed it out to Mike .... this is one of the songs Bryan has given me and it is one of my very favorites. I was thrilled that he was letting me know he was here. Amberly noticed that the license plate ended in the numbers "317", another validation that he is with us here on vacation.

Later today as we traveled from Buena Park, we were exiting off the freeway to Laguna when I spotted two hawks soaring right over the exit alongside our car. I pointed them out to Mike, Amberly and Cris and told them how Bryan usually gives me hawks at points on the highway when I change directions ... it's almost like he wants me to know he's still with me and affirming that I'm going the right way.

At the hotel, the room directly across the hall from ours was 317 ... which we couldn't have had because we have an ocean view room and those are even numbers. I had no idea of the numbering system when I made the reservations and it tickled me that he got us as close as he could to his birthday.

Tonight we went to dinner at the Aegean Greek Cafe, a restaurant Bryan and I went to in 2002 and we just loved it. I was totally amazed when we got there and the waiter sat us at the EXACT SAME TABLE that Bryan and I had shared!!!! I sat in the same seat I had sat in with him and didn't say anything to the others until we were seated. Cris had picked the same seat that Bryan had sat in. Of all the tables in the restaurant, I felt this was more than a coincidence. We all felt Bryan was right there with us ;-)


Thursday, August 19

Today we went to Dana Point to go out on Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari. On the way there, a white Impala showed up in front of us and the license plate ended in "317" ...Bryan's way of letting us know he's still with us and enjoying our vacaton.

After the boat trip, we went to the El Torito Restaurant where Bryan and I had eaten in 2002. This was right next to Captain Dave's wharf. We had requested a window table so we could see the marina. To my amazement -- again -- we were seated at the exact same table where Bryan and I had sat.Coincidence??? NO WAY!

Eternal Flame

Later tonight, Amberly and I were in the bathroom of the hotel. As I was washing my hands, the lights went completely off. Amberly yelled at me for turning off the lights, but I told her I didn't, that my hands were in the sink. Just then the lights came back on again and neither of us were anywhere near the switch! I asked Mike and Cris if the lights in the room had gone off and they both said no. Amberly and I then knew that it was Bryan! And to confirm it, there was a butterfly resting on the bathroom ceiling right above us.


Friday, August 20

This morning we were up on the rooftop deck looking out at the ocean and a fellow tourist came over to talk to us. As he spoke, three hawks appeared above him and circled for several minutes before they flew off over the hills.

This afternoon while we were at the beach, Cris pointed out a rainbow around the sun ... there was no rain or fog, it was perfectly clear out, yet there was a beautiful rainbow completely encircling the sun overhead. I have never seen a circular rainbow and it was truly beautiful. Bryan had been giving us so many signs with butterflies and feathers on the beach and we felt the rainbow was truly a sign from him as well.

This afternoon, Mike and Cris went to a local restaurant to pick up lunch. Mike sat down at a table to wait for our order. He looked up at the menu and at Cris and when he turned back to the table, there were four pennies lying in the middle of the table that were not there a minute before! He was totally astounded and had no idea where they came from in the space of a few seconds.

Eternal Flame

Tonight a bizarre thing happened. Amberly was on the rooftop deck of our hotel when she noticed a palm tree across the street was sparking and then caught fire. This palm tree was right over the roof of Spencer Rehab where Bryan had stayed in 2002 (we are staying in the same hotel I stayed in then in honor of Bryan's memory). She pointed it out to someone else and they called 911 to report it. In the meantime, she came to get us and we went out front. By that time the fire had gone out and I was asking her if she was sure of what she saw. Others on the sidewalk told her that they had seen it too. Then all of a sudden I saw sparks in the fronds of the palm and one of the branches caught fire again. It burned brightly for about 10 seconds and then went out as abruptly as it started. This happened three times, each time going out as quickly as it started, as if a big hand reached down and snuffed itout When the fire department got there, it was again out. Police and fire trucks were on the street in front of and beside Spencer Rehab ... and the tree would not flare up again. We just both laughed and felt it was Bryan totally messing with Spencer. As validation, about an hour later we went out to eat and when we came back, as I walked across the street right where the fire trucks were, a penny was lying there waiting for me! So I guess it was him playing a practical joke ... no harm done and added a little excitement to our night. The way the flames went out before any damage could be done proves to us that it had to be Bryan ... with all the dead palms fronds on the top of the tree, there is no way those flames would have gone out by themselves.


Sunday, August 22

Today we went on a tour of Los Angeles. On the bus, my camera fell on the floor and the battery fell out. We looked everywhere and couldn't find it. A second after I had checked right under my seat, I looked again and saw a quarter lying there. Naturally, I picked it up and felt that Bryan was there with us. About half an hour later, Amberly pointed out the battery which had rolled back to the same spot where the battery was. A little further along the tour, a beautiful swallowtail butterfly showed up alongside the bus outside our window! And when we got off the bus at La Brea Tar Pits, there was a feather lying right in front of the door to the bus as I was getting back on. Several people had already gotten on the bus and yet no one had stepped on it or seen it. So I kept it as a sign from Bryan.

The second half of our tour was with a different driver. We were all the way in the back of the bus, yet the driver talked mostly to us during the tour. He asked our names and told us that he had a Mike, Kathy and Cris in his family but no Amberly's. And his name was Bryan! This was a weird coincidence, but at one point, he looked at me in the mirror and said, "Kathy, you know Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz from the Monkees ... my girlfriend knows someone from their band." This totally floored us as the bus driver knew NOTHING about my being a fan of the Monkees when I was young. And why would he say my name and be talking to ME? Mike then had to tell him that I was the president of their fan club in Pittsburgh back in the 60's. It was surreal as no one was talking about the Monkees and there was no reason for him to even say that or bring it up or connect it to me. But BRYAN knew all about my past and one of his last gifts to me was the Monkees lunch box that was reissued as a collectible. The whole thing was just very, very bizarre and I felt Bryan's hand in it in a big way! I honestly felt all these signs were just his way of letting us know he was with us.

Eternal Flame

When we got back to the hotel, Amberly was in the shower when the lights in the bathroom turned off and on. They didn't do that in the main room, just in the bathroom, so it had to be Bryan messing with the lights again!


Thursday, August 26

Over the past several days, we have had numerous signs from Bryan ... literally dozens of hawks (or condors as they are out here in California) ... following us on our trip up the coast and appearing every time we turned onto a new highway. When we stopped for lunch at one inn along the coast highway, a beautiful Monarch butterfly came right near us. Cris was able to take its picture ... I hope it turns out. The weather has been incredible ... even in places where people tell us it was foggy or rainy every day prior to our being there, the weather would be perfect for us. Today in San Francisco, our tour guide told us that over 50% of the time, when he takes people to the top of Twin Peaks in SF, it's overcast or cloudy. Today it was crystal clear and we could see the entire city and bay and even across the bay. That is almost unheard-of here, or so we are told. I just feel Bryan is with us and is making sure it's the best weather it can be.

Eternal Flame

I spoke with my Mom today ... she has been watching the cats for us while we are away. She said she felt Bryan was with her today. When she was on her way to our house, she turned on her radio and a Bee Gees song was the first song that came on. She believes that Bryan always plays Bee Gees songs for her as she is a big fan and he knew that. She often hears them when she is out in stores and always attributes it to Bryan doing it for her. As if to confirm it, the very next song that came on was "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," a song Bryan has used for me. At that point, she really felt he was there with her. But that wasn't the end ... the next song was "Turn Around, Look at Me" and some of the words were so appropros that she couldn't believe it .... such as, "there is someone ... walking behind you ... turn around, look at me ... there is someone ... watching your footsteps, etc.." I will get it added to his Songs page when I return. That made her think of him even more. To clinch it, the "Lion Sleeps Tonight" came on next and then she knew beyond a doubt that he was there with her. Also, she has found the hawk feather that I put in Bryan's room on the kitchen floor by the door at least three different times while we've been gone. We thought at first it was the cat, but it's always been found in the exact same spot. Our kitchen door is a floor below and on the opposite end of the house from Bryan's bedroom ... quite a feat for a cat to do three times exactly the same way! I think Bryan is the one moving it ... my Mom also said that one day when she was there, Moses was acting strangely and creeping into the living room and looking around the furniture at something ... then he would walk to the steps and look up (toward Bryan's room) as if he saw something there. I have no doubt that while we're away, Bryan is keeping the animals company. It's just something that he would definitely do!


Friday, August 27

So many things have happened on this vacation that we knew were signs from Bryan but it was so hard to remember them all to post them all here. We have found feathers in unusual spots, coins near our car door or in places where we knew we didn't drop one ... and white Impala cars. At our hotel in San Francisco, there has been a white Impala parked in the front every day ... one day it pulled out and we took its spot. As we left the hotel at 5 a.m. Saturday, the white Impala was parked in the BACK of the hotel right near our car ... the only time we saw it anywhere but out FRONT. At the Queen Mary last Saturday, the parking lot was packed full and Mike noticed a car leaving so we waited for it to take its spot. What kind of car was it? A white Impala, of course!


Saturday, August 28

Today was our trip home. When we woke up at 4:15 a.m., there was a dime on the floor next to the bed. I counted the total number of coins that we have found while on vacation and wasn't too surprised at the total ... 17!! At the airport, we noticed a lady in line for the US Air counter had the exact same butterfly carryall that I have. I felt this was a sign from Bryan. I didn't ask her where she was going but later, as we boarded our plane, the same lady was in the first class section. We spoke briefly and I mentioned to her that she could get a matching butterfly umbrella for the bag ... she was happy for the information. Seeing her on the plane made me feel safe that Bryan was there looking out for us.

When we arrived back in Pittsburgh, as we switched from the parkway onto I-79, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was a HUGE hawk and it was landing right next to the highway about 5 feet away from our car as it passed. It just sat there and looked at us as we went by. Cris couldn't believe it ... he said it looked just like the one he saw at Penn State his last day there before vacation.

Tonight before bed, I logged onto the computer to download all the email since I had left. The last four emails that came in, late tonight, had the subject line "There's No Place Like Home" ... I got two of these in each of my two email accounts. What a neat way for Bryan to let me know that he knows we're back home ... email subjects are a way he has sent me messages in the past and the timeliness and appropriateness of the subjects are what make them so amazing. These arrived minutes after we returned home!

Eternal Flame

Cris and Mike went golfing late this afternoon and while there, a blue butterfly landed in a bunker right near them. Cris was able to take a close-up picture of it with his cell phone as it rested. It was a large, stunning blue butterfly. When he showed me the picture, I thought it was a statue it was so beautiful!

This evening, Amberly saw a hawk land right across the street from our house. As she watched, it lifted up and flew directly across to the house beside it and then away.


Sunday, August 29

Vacations are wonderful but it's good to be home. This morning there was a little butterfly on our porch. Ruthie stopped by and told us that she has been watching the church steeple and our neighborhood for hawks while we've been away and she hasn't seen a single one! My mother also said that driving over to our house, she never saw any hawks even though we see them all the time. Not a half hour later, Mike went for his morning walk and called me to tell me that there was a hawk landing on the church steeple just as he was getting out of his car to walk!

Eternal Flame

Tonight we all went to my Dad's for his birthday. While there, my nephew, Jacob, told us that his electronic keyboard had come on by itself -- with no power connected! -- and Fur Elyse began to play on it. When he received the keyboard this past Christmas, Bryan spent some time with him teaching him to play -- you guessed it! -- Fur Elyse!


Monday, August 30

Everyone told me the hawks have not been around since we've been gone, but they are back on the church steeple yesterday and today. When Mike and I visited Bryan's grave at the church last night, two hawks were perched atop the steeple looking down at us. Very neat!

At the store today, the light over Ruthie and I kept flickering. And I received an amazing gift! A friend stopped in with a beautiful opal butterfly ring for me ... she said as soon as she saw it, she knew she had to give it to me. She did not know that opals are my birthstone, so this made it even more amazing. I had been feeling down this morning over a personal problem and this really lifted my spirits.

And in my email came another email with a pertinent subject line: "A Vacation to Remember" ... and it truly was!


Tuesday, August 31

Mike and I went to Costco this afternoon and saw three hawks circling at the far end of the parking lot, just over the hill. We noticed them but as they were farther away, we didn't particularly attribute their sighting to Bryan. We then drove to the opposite end of the parking lot to get gas, well beyond their view. As I was waiting for Mike, two hawks flew from behind the building and came right toward us. In fact, they swooped so low to our car that the gas pump attendant commented on them. They continued circling right over us until we left! So I guess they were a sign from Bryan after all! And one the drive home, when we switched highways, one appeared directly overhead again.


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]