He Was With Us in Spirit
Because the Spirit Never Dies
My Son Was Moving
In December 2022, my husband and I helped our youngest son move to another state. It was a career move, and we were so happy and proud of him. We were driving across the country some 2,268 miles west to the state of Utah. My husband and I both helped my son pack his belongings. I, along with my son, went through the many clothes in his closet that he no longer wears. As he decided to either keep or donate, we came across a t-shirt belonging to my oldest son, Richie, who died in 2007. I remembered the shirt but said nothing about it being his brother’s T-shirt. As with the others, I asked, “Keep or donate?”
My son looked at me and said, “That was Richie’s. I never wore it, but I will keep it.”
“I understand,” I replied.
“I’ll wear it as a pajama top,” he responded.
“Sounds good. I’ll put it in the washer and pack it with the small luggage where I packed clothes for the traveling days. I had packed no pajamas yet,” I responded as we continued with the clothes.
Flash Back to the Years 2005-2006
When Richie was alive - he worked at Disney for a year or two. During that time, he constantly sang, “♪♫Chim chiminey, ♪♫Chim chiminey, ♪♫Chim Chim Cher-ee! ♪♫” I knew the song but did not recall hearing it lately. Therefore, I asked him, “Where did you hear that song? Why are you always singing it?”
“It’s one song that plays a lot at work. Maybe that’s why it’s stuck in my head. It is catchy,” he responded.
I found it weird that a young adult would be singing it, so I asked. But it made sense he’d have it stuck in his head hearing it daily at work, so I never spoke about it again.
Back to Now
Flash-forward to our drive across the country, while on our fourth day, I noticed my son wearing his brother’s T-shirt. It made me smile, but I said nothing about it. We had breakfast and continued our way. My son was driving, and my husband sat in the passenger seat. A few hours into our drive, I was drifting off to sleep in the back seat when I heard, “♪♫Chim chiminey, ♪♫Chim chiminey, ♪♫Chim Chim Cher-ee! ♪♫.
I was up in a jolt and said, “Why are you singing that song?”
He looked at me through the rear-view mirror and replied, “I don’t know. It just came to my mind.”
“Richie used to sing that song a lot,” I responded.
“I don’t remember hearing him sing it,” my son said.
“Oh yes, he did all the time,” my husband chimed in.
“I noticed you are wearing Richie’s shirt today, and you are singing the same song he constantly sang. For me, that is a sign that he is here with us.” I told him.
A Nostalgic Moment
Silence filled the cabin of the truck. It was a nostalgic moment for us. But it was apparent that it was a happy one too. Especially for me since my youngest son moving over 2000 miles was taking a toll on me. It was the Christmas season which already made me emotional. To top it off, Richie’s birthday was around the corner on January 8, my beloved 10-year-old dog had recently died, and my youngest leaving did not make it any better. But I held strong for my family. Though I sensed, Richie knew how I was feeling. We truly believe he was with us at that precise moment because the spirit never dies.
About the Creator
Debbie Centeno
Debbie is an active spiritualist and medium. Yoga and meditation are part of her daily routines. She loves to travel and enjoys writing. Her blogs are Debbie’s Reflection (www.debbiesreflection.com) and Traveler Wows (www.travelerwows.com).
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