Bryan’s Journal of Miracles As told by his mom … March 17, 1980 - January 9, 2004

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

Monday, March 1

Tonight we watched the movie "Reservoir Dogs" that Bryan had wanted us to see. I was looking for a message throughout the movie and really couldn't pick up on anything specific ... Amberly told us that it was one of his favorite movies, so maybe he just wanted us to see it. Throughout the movie, I noticed the lamp post flickering outside the window, so I truly felt Bryan was with us in spirit watching it. At the end, I looked out at the light and thanked him for sharing it with us. It was raining and the light flickered several times. Sandy was at the window looking toward the light and started to bark. I believe she could see him there as it was dark, raining, and no one else was out there. When the light stopped flickering, she stopped barking. (Follow-up: See February 18 for follow-up note to this incident).

Tuesday, March 2

This morning Bryan woke me with the song "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" playing in my head. It's really strange, but these songs he gives me can be interpreted in so many different ways ... his feelings for us, our feelings for him, and so forth, sometimes both in the same song. So I always download the song and the lyrics to find the message he wants to convey to us. These songs he gives me aren't anything I have even heard for years and never what I might be expecting, but they always give me a sense of peace and love. The verses that I kept hearing when I awoke were:

I got your picture hangin' on the wall
It can't see or come to me when I call your name
I realize it's just a picture in a frame

No other sound is quite the same as your name
No touch can do half as much to make me feel better
So let's stay together

It took me several minutes to even realize the name of the song, but I finally did. He's so amazing to be doing this for me!

Several times throughout the day and evening, the phones in the house would ring and no one was there. Once was the computer line but the other times were the main house phone. Every time my first thought was Bryan. Tonight while I was cooking dinner, BOTH lights in the stove hood went off. There was no reason for this to happen ... the bulbs are in separate fixtures, not together, they did not burn out, nor did they flicker. I had to reach up and turn the switch completely off and then back on to get them to come back on again. I've lived here since 1979 and this is the FIRST time this has ever happened! I just smiled to myself and said a big HI to Bryan. I am reading the book Quit Kissing My Ashes and I'm finding out that these things that Bryan does are not uncommon at all ... many people in the spirit world give these exact same signs from heaven to their loved ones. It's great to know that these signs are really him!

Thursday, March 4

This morning Kelly told me a story about a sign she got from Bryan. Since Bryan's passing, the song "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan has reminded her of Bryan every time she has heard it. She was driving in her car and that song came on her radio. She immediately thought of Bryan and it was making her sad, so she changed the station. Guess what was playing on the other station? "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan! She couldn't believe it but decided to change it one more time ... and the third station she went to was also playing "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan! At this point, she felt a rush of warmth and peace flow through her and she KNEW Bryan was there with her. She felt so much better and laughingly acknowledged that since he obviously wanted her to listen to the song, she would keep it on! She told me she doesn't even care if anyone believes her, she knows Bryan was there. Well, Kelly, you don't have to convince me. I know he was there, too! And, if nothing else, Bryan is persistent in getting his messages across.

What a morning! On my way to work, Sherry told me about some butterflies made of feathers in the Dollar Tree store in Donaldson's Crossroads. She said I'd better stop and get them before they sold out. I said I would but tucked it away for something to do next week. A few seconds later, Ed called and asked me to stop and pick up something for him on my way in to work. I asked him where and what and he said, "At Donaldson's Crossroads, there's a Dollar Tree. I need you to pick up some stuff for me there." I just started laughing ... I guess Bryan was making sure I got the butterflies! So I did stop.

On the way there, though, I was passing the area where the hawks were the other night and there were TWO hawks in the trees! I did a U-turn and doubled back to the trees and pulled off the side of the road. This time I was ready with my digital camera and got the following picture:

The picture of the second one didn't turn out, but moments later they both took off and flew away. I couldn't get a picture of them in flight but a few seconds later, they flew back and one landed on an electrical tower on the other side of the road. The second one landed in a tree further away and there was a third one circling far overhead. So I got the following two pictures:

..............

It was such an amazing site! I was so filled with excitement I could hardly steady the camera for the pictures! And even though I took several, four of them will not open at all even though I can see them in the preview window of the digital camera. Very strange ....

Friday, March 5

Today on my way to work, two hawks were flying over the highway along my route. It's becoming almost a daily sight for me and one that fills my heart with such joy every time.

Later today, I had the most wonderful surprise from Bryan! My neighboring antique dealer who is also a good friend of mine, Ellen, came over to my store and told me she had an early Mother's Day gift for me from Bryan. This is what she gave me:

(Click on pic for enlarged image to read)

I began to cry and she got teary-eyed as well. She then told me that someone had come into her shop to sell her some things and when he gave her this picture, he said to her, "Someone's mother wants this." She said the minute she looked at the picture, she got chills all over and knew it was for me from Bryan. She told the man that yes, she knew exactly whose mother would want it. She told me that she knows Bryan wanted her to give it to me from him. I could not thank her enough ... it just absolutely made my day. The ways that he finds to reach out to me just get more and more amazing! Thank you, Bryan, with all my heart!

Another related story to this was that our cat, Oreo, had a bloody spot on his eye last night that Jason noticed. I took him to the vet this morning to have it checked out. I was just getting ready to tell Ellen about it when my cell phone rang and is was Jason. He asked me if I had "taken Fats (Bryan's nickname for Oreo) to the vet yet." I told him I was just getting ready to talk about that to Ellen so I was able to tell them both at the same time. Oreo has had ongoing eye problems for years and Bryan was always hounding me to put his medication in ... "Fats" was his special cat and he loved him. Whenever Bryan was out at night, Oreo would wait out on the front porch until he came home. He wouldn't come in the house until Bryan came home to let him in. They had a very close relationship. I feel he was using Jason to make sure that I took care of Oreo's eye problem by making him call me ... and how ironic that he called me at the EXACT second that I was talking about it! Coincidence? I don't think so ...............

Saturday, March 6

This morning, Bryan woke me with the song "A Summer Place" ... I didn't even realize how appropriate the words to this song would be until I downloaded the lyrics and the song to hear it. Sometimes he amazes me! I guess his way of communicating with me is through these songs when I awake ... it's like his little treat for me and I never know what song he's going to give me. And when I was washing up this morning, he turned the lights over the sink off and on once ... this is something that he hasn't done before and this light has never gone off like that before. It turned completely off and then back on ... I guess it was his way of saying good morning.

Also, I saw two hawks on my way to work ... one was sitting on an electrical wire right next to the highway and when I pulled over, a second hawk flew over my car. Never in my entire life have I seen a hawk perched on an electrical wire! They are so big they really look funny on that tiny wire. A book I was reading today mentioned that the way you know animal signs are signs is that their behavior is uncharacteristic or unlike what you have seen in the past. This is definitely true of all the hawk sightings I have had ... sure, I've seen hawks over the years ... maybe once or twice a year in the summer but always high overhead flying. I have never seen them on the ground or in trees and never this many!

Monday, March 8

Today was Cris’ surgery and I was hoping Bryan would give us signs that he was with us. He did! In his room this morning, several cards were knocked over. So I knew he was there. At the hospital, as we were waiting for surgery in Cris’ room, I kept looking out the window for a sign from Bryan … a hawk or something. I had little hope of seeing a hawk in busy Shadyside but I still hoped he would be able to show me something. Right before Cris was taken out for surgery, three turkeys showed up right below his window in the parking lot. I was so shocked! Turkeys in a busy metropolitan hospital parking lot??? Not ever! The nurse was amazed and mentioned that she had never seen turkeys there but she would see them in her neighborhood 8 miles away. While Cris was in surgery, Mike and I went to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat. While we were eating, we saw two hawks circling outside the window. Another sign! And when we went back to the waiting room, the three turkeys were still outside. I tried to get closer for a better picture and ended up talking to the information desk gal … she was also amazed that there were turkeys outside. We both wondered, since turkeys don’t really fly, how on earth they had gotten there. We couldn’t imagine them walking through Shadyside! Nevertheless, they were there and were still there when Cris was brought back down from surgery. I believe Bryan was with us the entire day. Here are pictures of the turkeys:

Click on Images for Enlarged Pics

Tonight, while Amberly was showering and getting ready for Tim to come by, the lights in the bathroom began to flicker. She called me in to see. The lights in the hallway and in Cris’ room were also flickering.

Downstairs in the living room, the lamp in the corner would not come on again when I tried to turn it on. This is the lamp by “his” sofa … after switching the plug, it worked fine again. He is amazing!

Thursday, March 11

This morning, Cris ordered a new guitar online. Somehow, I felt Bryan telling me that this guitar was a gift from him. I laughed and said to him, “Oh, yeah? And are YOU going to pay for it?” I told Cris the message I had gotten and told him I wasn’t sure exactly how it was going to be a gift from Bryan … perhaps the fact that Cris felt he got such a good deal was the gift. We’ll have to wait to see how this pans out. Later today, Sherry heard us talking about the guitar and she then told me that she had had a message from Bryan as well telling her he had gotten Cris a guitar. She didn’t bring it up at the time because she didn’t want to stir up hard feelings (Bryan had sold Cris' guitar for drug money a few years ago and it was part of the guilt that Bryan suffered when he was clean from drugs). But she said the message was very clear … that Bryan had gotten Cris a guitar.

Today we were expecting a call tonight with psychic Kathleen Tucci again, so I as looking for signs all day from Bryan. There were four cards knocked over in his room this morning. On the way to work I saw two hawks. At work, the electricity in the shop went out completely. Ruthie and I looked at each other and just smiled. On the way home, I saw four crows sitting on the very top of trees and a hawk flying, I felt all of these were signs. However, once we got home, we found out belatedly that Kat had called and left a message on our answering machine that she had to cancel. So no reading tonight. This had me pretty down but I have to trust that things happen for a reason.

During the early hours of the next morning, Sherry was awakened and drawn to search for mediums on the internet feeling strongly that we needed to get another reading while Cris was still at home. When she went out into her hallway, the nightlight which is always on (it is a light-activated nightlight) was off. It is controlled by a slider for light-sensitivity and when she checked that, it had been turned down completely. Her immediate feeling was that Bryan had done that to show her he was with her. She went onto the web and did a search for mediums. Mind you, she had searched earlier and gotten only very expensive ones. This time she got results for ones she hadn't seen before and when she clicked on a few, she felt Bryan had given them to her. The first one she found was Terri Clemens. I contacted Terri on Friday and set up a reading for Monday night, the night before Cris has to go back to school. Check back for transcript!

Friday, March 12

I awoke during the night at about 4 a.m. and was thinking of Bryan. I tried to meditate to contact him. I’m not sure if what I experienced was a dream or really meditation, but I will try to reconstruct what occurred. I began to see in my mind a beautiful waterfall spilling into a lake with high cliffs on either side. Atop one side was a beautiful cottage with a tree in the yard and a park bench. Somehow I went to the yard and sat on the bench. A hawk was in the tree watching me. As I looked at him, he took flight and soared out over the waterfall and lake in a wide circle, coming back to land again in the tree. Tupper, Buffy, and our calico cat, Pumpkin were frolicking in the yard, all healthy and playing. I did not see Bryan but rather felt his presence and felt him telling me that he loved where he was now, that his imagination had no limit. He told me he could create whatever he could imagine. If he wanted to cook something, all he had to do was think it and the ingredients would all be there. Or if he wanted to eat something, he had only to think the thought and the meal was there. He could picture any type of clothing and be wearing it by simply thinking it. If he wanted to be somewhere, he could be there in the blink of an eye. His joy and amazement could be felt. He could be anywhere he wanted just by thinking it. I shared in his joy and happiness and then faded back into sleep. When I awoke, this all came back to me vividly. The feelings were very strong and I believe in retrospect that it was truly a visit from Bryan. (Follow-up note: I spoke with medium Kathleen Tucci on Wednesday, March 17, and told her about this dream. I relayed the things Bryan had told me and she said to me, "Kathy, that is EXACTLY what I have been told it is like!" I told her I had my doubts because how could he eat or cook in heaven? She explained that they don't physically do it but they can have the sensation of experiencing it and get the enjoyment of it. And his comment by him only being limited by his imagination is what she has been told by other spirits, so it is her belief that this was a true visit from Bryan. I am so happy!)

Added March 29, 2004: I just finished reading Sylvia Browne's book The Other Side and Back. I was totally surprised to read her description of life on the other side at the end of the book. As regards cooking or eating, her exact words were: "We can assimilate food for the taste and experience of it if we choose, and prepare food if it's something we happen to like doing, but we don't need to eat or cook." As for the clothes comment, Sylvia says, "We create our looks and our clothing with the same projected thought with which we create our houses. On the Other Side, we're simply able to jump from the thought to the reality without all the muss and fuss in between." And with regard to being able to get somewhere in the blink of eye, Sylvia writes, "We simply 'think' ourselves somewhere and we're there." This just blew me away as it was almost verbatim what Bryan told me in this visit!

At the store today, I saw a hawk on the way in. When Marge came in, she told me she had gotten a message from Bryan. She had seen two hawks in the sky on the way in and heard Bryan clearly tell her -- as if he were sitting in the car next to her -- “Tell my Mom! Tell my Mom!” She thanked him and told me she felt privileged and blessed to be receiving these messages from him.

Sunday, March 14

Today we held a birthday celebration in honor of Bryan's upcoming birthday on Wednesday. Even though it was pouring down rain, cold and windy, dozens of friends and family members gathered at his burial site at Westminster and Rev. Bob Norris was there to offer his prayers and words of inspiration. Mike, Amberly, Cris and I each read a poem for him (you can read these by clicking here). The day was quite cold and raining and the winds were awful. Sherry had brought balloons for a balloon release and three mylar ones that we had planned to leave on his grave. Two of the mylar balloons were HUGE blue butterflies. When she set them down, the wind was whipping them all over the place and they were bouncing out of control. To say the least, they were a bit distracting! However, when I began to read my poem, The Cord, the two blue butterfly balloons came over to me and literally "stuck" to my side during my entire reading. When I finished, they released from me and began bouncing wildly about again. I was so focused on what I was reading that I did not even notice, but several people came up to me at the house later and told me that they had noticed and commented about how amazing it was! Several of them had even pointed it out to each other during my reading. And more than one said they wished they had had a camera because it was so unbelievable! After the ceremony, we released all of the balloons and made our way home. Mike and Cris were on their way home when they noticed one of the green balloons had come back down right along the road. So they stopped and picked it up ... it is now in Bryan's room as a memento of his birthday celebration.

Another note of interest here: earlier last week, I had received a phone call from a friend of Bryan's from rehab last summer. This friend, Kim, was calling to check up on him, not knowing he had passed. She was extremely upset when I told her of his passing. She had not known Bryan long but he had made a lasting impression on her. After we spoke for several minutes, I invited her to come to the church for his birthday memorial and to the house for the party afterward. She told me she would love to come but I really didn't expect her to show up since she did not know anyone. Well, not only did she show up, I believe now in my heart that Bryan had her contact us at this particular time for a reason. Kim came to the church and afterward, at the house, she brought a guitar in with her. Cris noticed it in the living room and asked where it had come from. She told him she had brought it to sing some songs for us. Naturally, Cris asked if he could play it and she was kind enough to allow him to do so. Cris got to play several songs which we all enjoyed. Then Kim took the guitar and sang and played Janis Joplin's Bobby McGee for everyone and she was fantastic. Then she asked if she could play a song specifically for me ... it was a touching song that really tugged at my heartstrings. I believe Kim was truly a gift to us from Bryan to make this day even more special. Kim was not a contemporary of Bryan's ... she was closer to my age than his, yet he had touched her life in a way that she will always remember. This makes me so proud of the young man he was ... even from heaven, he still brings people together at the most perfect of times.

After most of Bryan's friends left the house, we had a birthday cake with candles for Bryan and our niece, Megan, whose birthday is the 16th. When Megan went to blow out the candles, one candle flickered out and then came back on. Kelly mentioned that it was probably Bryan. Well, it was almost impossible to get that candle out! It was a blue one and the flame relit itself 4 times in all! Megan finally succeeded in getting it out ... we are keeping the candle!

Tonight after everyone went home, Mike and I watched the Robin Williams movie "Dead Poets Society." At the very end, I was watching the credits roll and one of the cast names jumped out at me: BEANS was the character's name played by Robert somebody. I could not believe my eyes! I don't even remember anyone named Beans in the entire movie and when I mentioned it to Amberly, who has seen it at least four times, she couldn't remember either. Just another sign that Bryan was with us today!

Monday, March 15

Today we received a wonderful validation that Bryan is truly helping others from heaven. If you read the guestbook entry for March 15, you will see the following message:

Dear Burch Family,

I just lost my brother, Tim Porea, to a heroin overdose on March 6,2004. He was only 27. I think my brother led me to Bryan's web site, because it has provided me with amazing comfort and peace. I was asking and praying to God and to Tim to give me signs that he was in a good place and was still somehow with us. This website opened my eyes to the "signs". Yesterday my mom mentioned that she bought a new CD, Josh something. She couldn't remember his last name and it isn't the kind of music I listen to, so we couldn't figuire it out. Today, I was on this website (searching I guess for some more comfort) and I read Bryan's Memorial service. As you know you had a song by Josh Grobin read! There are many other signs that have occurred and without this beautiful web site, I don't know if I would have been able to interpret them. I believe that your son has been helping my brother in heaven, just through certain signs that I have received. I would be happy to share them with you if you are interested. Please know, I am not one that usually writes to strangers, or in the past gave much thought to spiritual matters, however, I have felt the need to let you know that your son, Bryan, is touching lives everywhere. My condolences to you and thank you for your inspiration.

Sincerely, Michelle Chau

What a wonderful gift! We can't thank Michelle enough for sharing this with us. Her feeling that Bryan is helping her brother in heaven was validated later tonight in a reading by Terri Clemens ... see below.

Tonight we had a reading via phone with medium Terri Clemens. You can read the transcript on the Psychic Medium Readings page of this website. In this reading, Bryan told her that he is helping others who passed in the same way he did from heaven. How ironic that we just got confirmation of this very thing this morning!

Today when I went in to work, Ed (my partner) showed me some jewelry he had bought yesterday. He told me there was something in there especially for me and pulled out a little tie tack in the shape of a hawk in flight. We very rarely buy jewelry ... in fact, I can't even remember when the last time a person came into our antique store selling jewelry that we bought. But he bought this assortment and the hawk pin was in it! I now wear it every day.

Tuesday, March 16 (added April 17)

Today Sherry was able to put together something that was brought up in the medium's reading we had last night with Terri Clemens. She had mentioned the number "867" which I could not relate to at the time. This morning, Sherry thought the number related to the song 867-5309 and went to look up the lyrics. In the words to the song, it says "I found your name and number on the wall, Jenny" ... which made her think immediately of the OurWall.net website for heroin victims. She went there and searched for Jennifers and was lead to Jenny Wittberger's website. Jenny passed much the same way as Bryan in 1996 ... her family now has a video and talks to young people to help prevent drug addiction. When Sherry arrived at Jenny's website, she "felt" Bryan's happiness and saw him dancing and knew that she had gotten the message right. When I went to download the song 867-5309, it turned out that Bryan's favorite group, Blink 182, had recorded it! This confirmed to me that we had gotten the message exactly right. In a reading with Candis Coffee a few days after this, she confirmed that this message was to help Mike. Mike has since gotten in touch with Jenny's parents and with their help and support, he will be working on a presentation to talk to young people in schools or churches to help prevent drug use before it begins. He has felt that Bryan wants him to do this since he passed and we believe Bryan lead him to Jenny's site to help get him started in the right direction.

Wednesday, March 17 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYAN!

Today is Bryan's 24th birthday! The first sign I had that Bryan was with us today was three cards knocked over in his bedroom. This is one of the most obvious signs he has of letting me know he is around. The cards are always on display and never move unless he moves them. Sometimes we go weeks with no movement and then they will be knocked over in ways that only a person could do; i.e. one in the middle will be knocked over while surrounding cards are standing upright. So this was the first sign. When I walked out of his room, a picture of Cris that was hanging on the wall outside his room was hanging crooked. This picture hangs on a rigid wire that had a crimp in the center and it was now hanging crooked. I straightened it and didn't think it was connected to Bryan until an hour later when I was reading Robert Brown's book "We Are Eternal" and in a chapter about signs from loved ones, he mentioned pictures hanging crooked where there is no wind, vibrations, or other means of having them move. This immediately struck me as I had just had this very thing occur! And the very next paragraph was entitled Gifts and referred to things spirits do to get our attention and mentioned feathers, shell, coins and wind chimes -- ALL signs Bryan has given us. I knew this was confirmation that the picture was moved by Bryan.

This afternoon as I was working on the computer, I happened to look out and saw a hawk on the ground in our neighbor's yard right across the street. As I watched him, he lifted off and took off over our house.

Tonight I was looking at the lamp post and talking to Bryan, asking him to dim the light to let me know he was there. Sure enough, the light began to dim and brighten. I smiled and sang Happy Birthday to him. At the end I made a blowing motion as if to blow out the light and I told him mentally, “Come on, Bryan! Blow it out!” I could almost feel him really trying when all of a sudden the light flashed out and back on so fast I almost missed it … but I didn’t. He did it! I just smiled and blew him a kiss.

Later this evening, I had an online reading with spiritual psychic Candis Coffee. I have added the transcript to Psychic Medium Readings. We were able to share a wonderful birthday session together which lasted over 2 hours.

Friday, March 19

This morning we received a wonderful email from one of Bryan's friends from rehab. With his permission, I am sharing with you his wonderful experience of how Bryan has touched his life from heaven:

Dear Mrs. Burch,

First off I would like to apologize for the length of time it has taken me to finally write you.  I am having a very hard time coming to terms with Bryan's passing.  I would also like to thank you for the website that you have made in memory of him.  It does help me in dealing with all of this.  I also would like to share some of the experiences I had with Bryan.  They come in both memories of this past summer and signs since his passing.  There is so much I would like to say but to be quite honest I am not good at relaying my thoughts and feelings in writing.  I am sad to say I only knew Bryan since last April but it felt like I had known him a lifetime.  You raised a wonderful son.  He has touched my life in so many ways.  Bryan was truly amazing.

I do not want to ramble on and I see myself doing that now so I will share with you an experience I had today and then let you rest your eyes. lol. 

Today at work I was in a terrible mood.  I went on break and was listening to my headphones and I couldn't stop thinking about using.  A big shock because I haven't felt that way in a very long time. (I have been clean since 4/28/03).   I wasn't really paying attention to the music, I was just lost in thought.  Out of nowhere this kid pulled up and parked beside the bench I was sitting at blasting the song 21 Questions by 50 Cent (that was one of the songs Bryan and I had walked around Gateway Rehab singing to), so that grabbed my attention. I looked over and he was driving a white Impala the same as Bryan's.  Then the song My Immortal started playing on my headphones.  I was just like OK B, I know I know I'm in a bad place in my head.  Well, anyway, I went back to work and eventually the thoughts of using came back and It was driving me crazy.  I called some friends from the program and since I didn't have a meeting scheduled with house arrest they told me to go to one on-line.  I didn't want to but finally I did.  Feeling much better afterward I went out to the front porch to smoke a cigarette.  While I was out there I heard an owl hooting his head off and started looking around.  I found him in a tree in my neighbors yard staring right at me.  We looked at each other for a minute or two and he hooted once more and took off.  When that happened I felt like it was Bryan telling me I did the right thing by going to the meeting and not using.

The significance of the owl is when we were in Gateway, me and Bryan would sit outside and talk smoking cigarettes during our free time at night.  During several of these times an owl would be in one of the nearby trees hooting.  I remember Bryan commenting on it saying "The wise owl is telling us we are in the right place dude."  The other part is I have lived in this house for 7 years and not ever once do I remember hearing an owl -- let alone seeing one -- anywhere around here.  Well, I am sure that I have made your eyes tired enough for one sitting but I feel that I need to share these things with you and your family.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Once again I would like to say it was a joy and a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to know Bryan.  He left me with many good memories and I will always carry them with me.

Take Care .... Rob

Today at the shop, Marge told me she had a present for me from Bryan. She and her daughter had been out and her daughter had gotten a blue butterfly stick-on tattoo. She felt that Bryan wanted me to have it and that it would be like a joke for me. Bryan had always wanted to get a tattoo and I was always against it, so this was his way of kidding me from heaven that now I would have to wear a blue butterfly tattoo. His sense of humor is still coming through!

Sunday, March 21

Today Mike was taking his usual walk through the woods on the Gilfillan Trail. This is one of the times when he is best able to communicate his thoughts to Bryan. As he normally does, he was thinking of him and all the times they shared. He asked Bryan to let him know he was hearing him by showing him a hawk. Within minutes, three hawks swooped right overhead! As it this wasn't amazing enough, within a few seconds a fourth, fifth and SIXTH hawk also flew over! They were very close to the ground, just above the treetops, and he was totally amazed. I guess Bryan wanted to let him know he was definitely hearing him loud and clear! As soon as he got back home, he had to call me at work to share it with me. I could just hear the excitement in his voice. There is absolutely nothing to compare to that feeling when you know Bryan has confirmed his presence for you ... it is just wonderful!

Tuesday, March 22

Today I added the letter I wrote about receiving on Valentine's Day. It took a while because I wanted to get Sarah's permission before I put the letter online. To read it, go back to the Valentine's Day entries for the link.

Friday, March 26

Tonight when I arrived home, I had packages on the passenger side floor that I needed to get out of the car, so I unlocked all the doors with the electric locks. When I opened the passenger side door and was beginning to pick up my packages, the locks all went down and up again simultaneously as if someone were locking and unlocking all the doors. At the same time, I noticed a clicking noise that I couldn't identify at first. After looking for the source of the sound, I noticed that the cigarette lighter was pushed in and the lighted rim around it was flashing on and off as it was heating. As I watched in amazement, the lighter finished heating and popped out! No one was ANYwhere near it as I was alone in the car! Bryan had been a smoker and I felt his presence very strongly with me ... it was he who had played with the locks and then, to just re-confirm it was him, he pushed in the cigarette lighter. This was one of his strongest physical signs yet and I couldn't believe my eyes. I feel his spirit is getting stronger and he is learning how to physically do things he couldn't do before. What an amazing sign! I couldn't wait to get inside and tell Amberly and Mike!

Saturday, March 27

This morning when I awoke and went into the kitchen, I found a paper rolled up on the kitchen table that I knew wasn't there the night before. Upon unrolling it, I found it was Bryan's insurance card from his Chevy Impala. I have not seen this for months and wondered why Mike had put it there. When he came in, I showed it to him and asked him what he was doing with it and he told me he had not put it there nor had he seen it for several months. At this point, I figured Amberly must have found it the night before and left it out for us, so I went down to wake her up and ask her. She told me she not only didn't put it there but that she didn't even know what it was! She ran upstairs to see it and then told me that she had been awake at 2 a.m. and come up to the kitchen and was sitting at the table looking at some of the mail. She said she KNOWS that the insurance card was NOT on the table. Since there wasn't that much on the table, I knew it wasn't there either. None of us have any idea where it even came from as we haven't seen it anywhere in our house since last fall. Amberly then said she had heard footsteps in the kitchen (it's is right over the room where she sleeps) at about 3 a.m. and thought I was down there for some reason. I told her I never go downstairs in the middle of the night and neither does MIke. So it must have been Bryan! There is absolutely no other explanation for this card showing up there. Another amazing sign that he is still around us!

Monday, March 29

Lori mentioned to me that since Bryan's passing, their doorbell has been ringing really early in the morning and no one is ever there. This isn't the only incident of doorbell ringing that he has been given credit for, so I believe it is him. Early morning is a time when spirits can be most active due to the moisture content in the air (see, I'm learning a lot from the books I'm reading!! LOL) Anyway, I have no doubt it is Bryan's way of saying "Hi!" to them ... although I think Lori wishes he'd make it a little later in the day ;-)

This morning when reading Sylvia Browne's book The Other Side and Back, several things she wrote about validated the visit that I had from Bryan on March 13. I have added this to the entry on the 13th, so click here to read the update.

Tuesday, March 30

A very strange thing just occurred that only Bryan's intervention can explain. A friend from my very distant past had called me two weeks after Bryan's passing saying that he felt like he had to call me for some reason. This is a person I have spoken to on only very rare occasions over the past 30 years as he lives far out of state, so it was a surprise to hear from him. When I told him my son, Bryan, whom he had never met, had passed away, he was very upset for our family. Months went by and I didn't speak to him again until last week when he called to get my address. He said he has something to send me that "wasn't something he would have picked out." I asked if he meant that Bryan had picked it out and he replied that he really didn't know what he meant but that it was just something he would not have chosen and to just "take it for what it's worth." Naturally, this intrigued me and I couldn't imagine what it would be. When the package arrived, it was Josh Groban's CD and the note with it said that he had heard this song at least five times since Bryan passed and that he felt there was a message there for someone ... and to check out #5. Well, #5 was "To Where You Are", the song that we played every 15 minutes at Bryan's viewing, it was read in the memorial service at our church for Bryan, and it is on the Songs page of this website as my song to Bryan! When I explained all of this to my friend, he was totally shocked. He claimed he had never heard the song before and something compelled him to go and buy it for me. He had no idea that it was read at the service or played at the viewing or that I had even ever heard of it! I asked if he had been thinking about Bryan since he passed and he replied that he prays for him and us every night. I knew at that moment that was the reason why Bryan did this ... Bryan acknowledges everyone who thinks about him or prays for him. I have heard from numerous people who never met Bryan that he has given them signs and I think it is because of the feelings of love and prayer that are extended to him. He never ignores anyone who sends positive thoughts his way! This was one of the strongest signs I have had from him that he is constantly finding ways to reach out from heaven and touch our lives here.

Follow-up to this story: My friend told me on the phone that he did not know the name of this song or who recorded it, but when he went to the record store to buy it, the clerk there identified it to him through the words of the song. It wasn't in stock and had to be ordered. The cd arrived in the store on March 22. In a reading that Amberly had with medium Candis on March 22, Bryan said, "Mom, your present has arrived." At the time of the reading, we had no idea what he was talking about, particularly since Candis didn't even know I was in the room and Amberly was the one having the reading. This comment was directed to me and was in the middle of other things being spoken about. I was unable to understand what this meant but when my friend told me that he had to order the cd, and I asked when it had come in to the store, he told me he was called on March 22 that it had arrived. So even though I had no idea what "present had arrived" at that time, I now know that Bryan was foretelling the receipt of this CD!

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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.

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