The Wonder of It All

22 September 2026

This world and our existence in it is wondrous. It really is. It’s so easy to overlook that in the midst of our own stuff; our busyness, trials and tribulations, and the general chaos of the world at large.

Over the past five weeks, in the midst of all that and more, I experienced and made note of the wonder that abides within and around me (and you, too). Here’s some of it:

Full-body apparition

The afternoon of 21 August, when my mom was being admitted to rehab, her primary nurse entered the room. He was followed by a lovely older woman with beautiful white hair, a pretty soft-orange blouse, white linen pants, and a pair of white Keds (or something like them - “skimmers,” I hear) on her feet.

She stopped behind him and I waited for him to introduce her to us. He explained what we needed to know and failed to acknowledge the woman, which was very unlike him. Then, he turned to leave. There was no one else there.

That lovely woman was my first time seeing a full-body apparition. And if not for the facts that 1) the nurse completely ignored her, and 2) she couldn’t have left the room without being seen, I wouldn’t have known she was an apparition. She looked as solid as the nurse and everyone else in that room.

How cool is that?

Spirit dog

That same day, in that same space, as I sat in a chair next to my mom’s bed, I felt a familiar sensation that would likely remind you of a small-ish animal - dog, in this case - clamor onto the bed beside me.

Its interaction with me told me this was the same dog that visited me every morning during my energy ritual. I understood it would stay with my mom until she left the rehab, which gave me some comfort.

How sweet is that?

Exeter UFO Festival

This town I live in hosts an annual UFO festival on Labor Day weekend. I completely forgot about it until I was heading downtown on my way to the rehab. As I drove down Front Street and through Phillips Exeter Academy, I noted cars parked on both sides of the road and assumed something was happening at the Academy.

The closer I got to downtown, though, the more cars there were, and the more traffic there was. And then, the traffic stopped and I saw this:

Downtown was filled to the brim with cars, people, and even a news crew covering the UFO Festival. It was amazing to see, and to consider that it stems from what’s known as the Incident at Exeter. In addition, it focuses on the Barney and Betty Hill Incident. Trolleys take attendees from downtown to the site of the incident.

Fun fact: I served ice cream to Betty Hill at an aunt’s ice cream shop during the Summer of 1982. Another fun fact: The dress Betty wore during the incident with her husband is on display at the University of New Hampshire, minus the sections of fabric that have been studied by scientists worldwide.

I’ve been privileged to see several UFOs or UAPs in this incarnation, especially when there was still an Air Force base in Newington.

Explaining my work and why I don’t see it as a “gift”

One day at my mom’s rehab, walking down a hall to her room, I greeted one of the other patients who I’d become familiar with. He asked what it was I did for work, and I replied, “I help people find answers to questions they have.” He accepted that. I just didn’t want to get into it, as I knew it could lead to a prolonged discussion.

Shortly after I arrived at my mom’s room, she was brought back from the gym by her occupational therapist, who greeted me by saying she was curious to know more about my work. (There’s no such thing as coincidence, in my opinion.)

This time, I was more clear, albeit in a shorthand way. I told her I’m a professional intuitive; a psychic, medium, medical intuitive, and energy worker.

Her reply: “When did you know you had the gift?”

My response: “I don’t believe it’s a gift. I believe we all have the abilities, and we’re either aware of them and choose to use them, or not.” Essentially, I don’t believe what I do makes me “special” in any way - not any more than anyone else. I take every opportunity I can to say that, and dispel the myth that only “chosen” people have access to intuitive abilities.

A bittersweet share

Back on 21 July, my mom’s last surviving brother (and my last surviving uncle) passed in California. While it was sad to hear that, it wasn’t a surprise as he’d been quite ill. His burial was on 12 September here in New Hampshire. He was buried with his parents, near other siblings.

While Mom couldn’t attend, her last surviving sister did, and shared a story about the night of his passing that his daughter shared. He was at home with his wife and two of his children, tended by a Hospice nurse. The nurse left the room when his wife was ready to say some final words to him.

In the living room where the nurse waited was my uncle’s bible on a table. She observed the pages of the bible turning themselves as if by a breeze (there was no breeze in the house). They stopped, and then my aunt exited the bedroom and the nurse entered it to find their cat, who had otherwise been staying out of sight, sitting on my uncle’s chest, purring loudly. He had passed.

Once the hospice nurse noted the time of death and did what she had to, she left hurriedly after mentioning the incident with the bible. My cousins looked at it and noted it was open to the 91st psalm, which apparently had deep meaning to my uncle. 💗

Picking and eating tomatoes

Our crop of tomatoes from what I ultimately referred to as “the tomato forest” was delicious. They provided for me and my mom, and for neighbors. The pleasure of going out front to pick cherry and beefsteak tomatoes and subsequently eat them was astounding.

Summer tomatoes, in my opinion, are the best tomatoes. Turns out, Summer tomatoes grown and picked yourself are even better than the best. Whether it’s knowing they’re truly organic, or the magic of watching them grow from seedlings to vines heavy with fruit, or maybe both… I’m not sure.

All I know is, they were and continue to be (four more beefsteaks are sitting on the kitchen windowsill) deeply satisfying. We’re savoring them, because last week I pulled out the waning plants to make room for Autumn color:

Practical Magic 2

I haven’t seen it yet, for the record. Even so, the hum, the buzz around its release almost two weeks ago still touches me and asks me to look deeper.

Forgetting and remembering

One of the themes of the movie, which is based on the sequel to Alice Hoffman’s novel (and subsequent movie) Practical Magic, is forgetting powers (abilities) and remembering them. That seems like a reflection of the experience many of us have with our abilities. We experience a form of amnesia that cloaks them, until we awaken to the realization of their existence within us.

Dressing for the occasion

In a post on her Finding My Joy Substack, Maura wrote about dressing for the occasion of seeing Practical Magic 2. The next day, while speaking to one of my Florida nieces, she interrupted herself to share that several teenagers were walking past her car wearing witch hats, apparently on their way to see Practical Magic 2 at the nearby cinema.

I found both the post and my niece’s observation hopeful. While most likely coming at it from different contexts, the fact that these women of various ages felt compelled to revel in their inner witch and allow her to be on display suggests a deep change in process.

In a conversation yesterday, the word witch was used to create a channeled acronym: woman intuiting the creative hearth. That feels like a reclamation of the word from its patriarchal usage, returning it to its matriarchal lineage. Yes, please.

Here’s Maura’s beautiful post, right here.

And that’s that… for now. 💞🔮

What wonders have you experienced lately?