A Coincidence or a Prayer

A Coincidence or a Prayer

I don't like funerals because I want to remember the person, not as a shell in the ground, but as a living spirit who will always be with us. I think we just have to be open to those feelings and thoughts.

As my husband and I were flying high above the puffy clouds through the blue sky, I looked out the window and said, " Look! There's Jack." He was not amused, but I know his spirit was out there, watching. I have faith. I believe in something stronger than all of us.

I never knew Jack Costello as a General. He had since retired and was among my husband's business associates when we socialized. His wife, Micki, a fellow artist of kindred spirit, always responded to my E-mail, no matter how minor in substance.

I prayed to Jack and my guardian angels while we flew across the country from California to Washington D.C. because I wanted to see Micki, alone; knowing that she would be surrounded by loved ones and close friends, and that I may not see her.

While I was praying I could feel Jack's presence; and telling my husband was a mistake. He said I sounded like I was schizophrenic if I thought I was hearing voices.
I said, "I am not hearing voices, like the ones Kristine hears. It's only a thought I get, in this case, from
Jack, saying,  "I am fine."
I believe it's a thought given to those who want that experience; while everyone else is on their Blackberry.

The following morning, of the funeral; I had left my husband at the breakfast table while I ventured upstairs to our hotel room. He reminded me that I had to use my room key, a plastic card, in the elevator, for security purposes, in order, to get to our floor. In the past, I had used an elevator key, so I didn't think anything of it.

When I got on the elevator, the doors closed, and it started moving before I could put my key in the elevator key slot. I thought: I don't need my key after all. I pushed the 17th floor button, not thinking; as our room number is 1117.
I ended up on the 18th floor. An employee got on. I asked why it did not stop on the 17th floor. She said she must have pushed the button first, going to the 18th floor.
So I inserted my card and pushed 17 again. Only to end up on the 1st floor with the employee. She said something must be wrong with my card and she left.  I inserted my card again and pushed 17; only to stop on the 16th floor where more people got on the elevator.
I said, slightly panicking, "I can't get off; to my floor. Are there stairs?"
Before going down with the elevator, a guest said, "Go to the Exit."
So I looked down the hall, not seeing the Exit sign above my head; so I decided to jumped back onto the elevator for another ride to another floor.
The doors closed and the elevator did not move. I was stuck on the 16th floor. I inserted my card and pushed the button again to the 17th floor. I waited and waited.  I looked at the Alarm button. I said to myself: I am not ready to push the alarm button, just yet.

Finally, the elevator just started moving. Someone had pushed the button on the 17th floor. I got off and ran down the hall towards what I thought was our room. I immediately realized that the room door numbers started with 17; when I knew our room number was 1117, not 1711.
I must be losing my mind. How could I make such a dumb mistake.
Probably because there is no room number on my plastic card for security reasons; therefore, remembering only the 17 as the most prominent number and mindlessly selecting it. It's nothing new for me to read backwards.
Running back to the elevator, still slightly panicky, having lost all my confidence now that I had become the hotel's creepy elevator rider who keeps asking hotel guests, "How do I get to my floor?"

Realizing my mistake, I now knew how to use the elevator key to get to my floor; but I was too afraid to get back on the elevator because I felt there were forces against me; especially, since the man getting on the elevator, didn't speak any English and would be of no help to me. So, instead, I chose to run down the hallway to the "Exit" sign.
I ran down the stairs, as fast as I could, from the 17th floor to the 11th.
I ran down the hallway, passing the elevators, as they were opening. I saw someone getting off.  I kept running until I was just a few feet from room 1117, when I heard my name.
"Nancy!"
I turned to see this person, all in black with radiant hair, come barreling down the hallway towards me.
She said," I thought it was you!"
I was shocked to see Micki standing there, so strong, smiling at me. She grabbed me and hugged me hard. We were standing alone in the hallway. I would have missed her completely, if I had not been lost on the elevator.
You can call it a coincidence. I did ask Jack and my guardian angels to see Micki, alone; and so, I did get my prayer answered; although it was a hell of a way to get it.