MAY I TAKE YOUR PICTURE

Startled, I looked up into the face of a lovely young women holding a professional camera. She said, " May I take your picture, you look so beautiful sitting there". She further explained that she was an artist and would like to paint my picture.....for , how do you say it? I replied, posterity! She replied; yes..... for posterity.

I smiled and agreed. She asked me to continue reading the book that I was holding. That was the picture that she wanted to capture. Please, she said, continue what you were doing.

I heard the click of her camera and then she was gone.

I did not tell her that I was NOT reading. My heart, thoughts and prayers at the moment that she saw me were in THE SPIRITUAL WORLD AND HEAVEN. You see, just hours before, I had received word that my 52 year old niece, NADINE, died.

I wanted to be with my family during this time. They were almost 400 miles away and I had planned the 8 hour drive the next day. I could not concentrate on what I was doing at home and decided to drive to clear my head. I pulled my hair back in a pony tail, covered my head with a lopsided, white baseball cap, wore a tank top and cut offs. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! I hardly think so. The look that she captured, sitting on a bench overlooking the Atlantic Ocean was of a woman DEEP IN PRAYER and the SPIRITUAL WORLD.

At that moment, I had been thinking about my beloved husband, George, welcoming Nadine into Heaven. Of Nadine, organizing a poker game with Poopsie, her grandfather and the rest of our deceased family members gathering around. So many have passed away.

We knew that she would have a shorter life span due to childhood diabetes. Another cousin, who was a Dr. passed away at the age of 47 from childhood diabetes.

Nadine was not afraid of death. Years ago, she had a near death experience. As she described the experience, she had entered the tunnel filled with white light. It was so beautiful there. She wanted to stay but it was not her time and she lived.

Nadine lived with her mother, Irene. This was a tough summer for both of them. They were in and out of the hospital.

The night before she died, Irene just returned from a ten day hospital stay. She called me to let me know that she was home. Nadine said that they were fine. Things were looking better.

Irene had lost a tremendous amount of weight and Nadine had fun shopping for new clothes to fit her mother.

A Memorial service for Nadine was held at St. Therese's. Father Jim said just what we needed to hear as family and friends.

Nadine was cremated and her urn was in front of the altar along with a beautiful picture of her. I looked at that picture long and hard. She sported a partial middle part in her hair.

After the Church ceremony, all were invited to the home of her Uncle Bill and Aunt Cindy. As we told Nadine stories, my eyes were directed to the picture that was in Church. Now it was placed on the mantel of the fireplace. I kept looking and looking. I finally got up from the sofa that I was sitting on and looked closer. I picked up the picture and started to smile. Then I turned to those around me. I asked them to look at the picture as well.

Do you see it? What do you see? The middle part in her hair looked like a CROSS. Was it there all the time???????? And no one noticed.......OR was this a way that Nadine was able to let us know that SHE WAS FINE AND HAPPY IN HEAVEN.