O0OOOO0 SPOOOKY!

Hey thereeee! DON'T YA FORGET, GHOSTS IS REAL! This week's story is one to warm your heart and offer you the opportunity to reflect... 

"When I was 16 I had a girlfriend named Sam. She always had a smile and was ready for a good time. One of those people that just lights up a room. It wasn’t all that serious but ended pretty ugly. She apologized for her role in the breakup but I held a grudge. She would write me just to see if I was ok and ask if we could talk or be friends. She came by my work to give me an invitation to her graduation. I didn’t go. I didn’t respond. I didn’t forgive her. I held that grudge for about a year, until she unexpectedly and tragically died. Obviously at that point all my resentment seemed so petty and I felt guilty that I wasted precious time with someone so magical.

After her funeral, I started seeing sunflowers all over the place - her favorite flower. I intuitively knew it was her leading me to those places and it filled me with such joy. I decided I would get a sunflower tattoo for my first as soon as I turned 18 as a way to always carry her with me. Several months later I visited a friend’s house and immediately noticed a vase with sunflowers at the center of the table that some friends and I were sitting around. “Oh, there she is again, hi.” Over the next few minutes I kept getting drawn back to it and start to think it looks oddly familiar. Then I realized it looks identical to a vase I bought for Sam and stuffed with fake sunflowers for Christmas. So I asked, “where did you get that?” My friend said, “oh that was Sam’s. It was in her apartment, her family had us come and take the stuff we wanted. That was her favorite flower and reminds me of her energy so I snagged it.” He had no idea I had given it to her.

It meant so much to me in that moment that she had kept my gift and didn’t throw it out in spite of me like I did with her gifts. That she continued to hold space for me despite my being a total brat. That she took the time after death to repeatedly show me she’s still with me and cares too. This experience really solidified that it’s totally valid to get a mystical sunflower tattooed on my body and I did that as soon as I got to college. I felt her with me then and still do all the time.

And Sam, if you can hear this, I’m so sorry. I should have shown you grace. I should have kept you in my life. I wish I hadn’t broken your trust. I wish you could have told me what you were going through. And I want to thank you for teaching me the value of forgiveness. I’ve surely never made that mistake again. I hope you know that I would do it all differently and I’ll never forget your warm loving spirit. Say hi again soon. I really miss you."