A Magical Story About My Granddad

When I was 10 years old, my granddad passed away. I've never had a super close connection to him, but I do remember noticing, even at a young age, that he had a huge presence, which was intimidating for my little shy self. He was very well known around my hometown, Philadelphia, for his activism in the 1960s and 70s. Also, he was pretty popular across the country for his social work. He was so well loved by the community that I vaguely remember Philadelphia's first poet laureate, Sonia Sanchez performing her signature spoken word at his funeral. Since then, I've thought about him sometimes, curious about his life and what he is up to on the other side. I've also talked to him while in prayer whenever a family problem occurred and I'd like to think he helped mend some brokenness in my extended family as a result. However, I never really knew if he was actually there for me until one magical night many years after his passing.

I was in my late twenties, going through the motions of life. On this particular night, I was extremely vulnerable and emotional, crying profusely and praying for a hug. After a long night, I went to bed and had a dream that I'll never forget.

my granddad :)

I was on a crowded bus with some people that I apparently knew but in real life, I didn't know at all. There were many conversations happening around me but I was quiet, looking around, trying to figure out where I was exactly. Soon after, I got off the bus, unsure if it was the right stop. I realized my friends weren't with me so it must've been the wrong one but I kept walking anyway down this winding road that led to the most beautiful pathway I've ever seen. It was kind of like a golden alleyway between two gorgeous buildings that were literally covered with flowers. The flowers were nothing like I've ever seen while on Earth and the colors were so vivid, even their hues were unnoticeable to my human self.  Once I walked down this short magical pathway, I ended up at a mall in the basement lobby area. It actually reminded me of an actual mall in Philly, The Liberty Place. When I opened the door, I was greeted by one of my older co-workers who I actually do know in this life. We made a little small talk and then in mid-conversation, I looked over to see my granddad.

He had on a long black trench coat and I believe he had on a matching top hat as well if I remember correctly. I wish I could fully articulate how I felt when I saw him. I guess the closest I could compare it to is when you are a kid and you think you are not getting any Christmas presents but then you come down on Christmas day and you see all the gifts you wanted for the holidays. It was like that times ten. My heart was filled with so much love and I was just so damn excited to see him after so many years. I went right back to my 10-year-old self and said "Granddad!!!" and immediately hugged him.

It was the warmest hug ever.

After our lovely embrace, he joked about how young he looked compared to the last time I saw him. I must admit - my granddad was looking good out here in these heavenly streets. He was slimmer, had darker hair and lost all his wrinkles from the last time I saw him, similar to the picture above. We both laughed at his funny joke and then suddenly, I woke up.

With my eyes barely open, my mind began to race with happy thoughts and I felt much better than I did the night before. I truly believe my granddad made a special visit to give me what I prayed for - a hug and I am so thankful for the love he showed when I needed it the most. So I am sharing this story to let you know that the power of prayer is real and you never know who could be listening to answer it for you.

Now, I am curious if any of you guys have had similar supernatural/spiritual experiences like mines. If so, please share! I love reading stories like these.

my sister & a sprig of rosemary: a funny story on the power of synchronicity

Have you ever planned a major meal and browsed through your local grocery store only to find out that a major ingredient is missing? Have you ever felt the heartbreak of such a tragic event when your entire menu seems to crumble into pieces even if you have all the other ingredients for everything else? You simply want to give up your chef’s hat and walk away in defeat but then, something miraculous happens and you know that God is on the look out for the cookout - literally.

Let me tell you the story about my sister and a sprig of rosemary. So this past weekend, my sister planned this elaborate meal for a belated Thanksgiving family celebration. Being the good sister I am, I met up with her the day before to help her prepare for the occasion, including grocery shopping. While going up and down the aisles, we both gathered the necessary items that were on our list with ease until something absolutely horrifying stopped us in our tracks -

There.

was.

no.

rosemary.

via GIPHY

We searched throughout the spice section in hopes to find any brand of rosemary but there was nada, nothing, zilch! I could see the anguish in my sister’s eyes and she told me that the chicken stock would not be the same without this key ingredient. After staring at the sparse section of seasonings, we eventually continued our shopping, a little more empty than we were when we arrived. There was a hole inside of us, especially my sister who was cooking the whole meal, that only that savory rosemary could fill.

To make ourselves feel somewhat better, we decided to put all the groceries away and go out to eat since cooking was out of the question at this point. Also, we love food a little too much. We went to a pretty fancy diner that really felt more like a cozy restaurant; and I immediately went towards the comfort food because the devastation was too much to bare without a warm dinner and a soothing drink. So my sister got her go-to dish - huevos rancheros. She was oddly in the mood for Mexican food. Hey, whatever makes you cope the best. For me, I got meatloaf, mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Now, this is when the hand of God was at work. My plate of food came out first and was placed right in front of me. My sister immediately noticed something magnificent at the center of my mashed potatoes -

A

sprig.

of.

rosemary.

via GIPHY

The way her eyes lit up, you would’ve thought she saw Mother Mary. Who knows? Perhaps, she had something to do with this incredible intervention from God. I mean really, what are the odds that a sprig of rosemary would be standing at attention in the middle of my mashed potatoes, like “Hey…you were looking for me”?

My sister quickly realized, more than ever before, the power of synchronicity and how awesome God can be during times of trouble. God can part the seas for a sprig of rosemary. God can put the thought in my head to get meatloaf (which I rarely get) in order to align everything just right for my sad sister. Her frown turned all the way up into a big smile and I turned into the best little sister ever by laughing at her excitement all the way home.

So let this story be a friendly reminder that when you are aligned with your purpose, God, the Universe, the All That Is, the Source will work with you to see it through, even if your purpose at the moment is cooking the best chicken stock that was hardly used.

5 signs you love food a little too much

There are people that love food and then there are people that LUV food to the point when they can't even spell right. The sight, the smell, even just the mention of food makes their whole world stop and they can only focus on that piece of pie, those french fries, that bbq chicken or that cheese plate. It's an attraction that can't be broken because food is so lovely, so kind, so dependable, especially when you have the taste for something and then you are able to appease that craving with pure delight. That's relationship goals for real. Whether you're #teamcarnivore #teamvegetarian or #teamvegan, one thing that can bind all of us is our level of greediness because we are all truly on the next level with our love for food. So if you're scratching your head and wondering whether you're on our level, then I got you!

Here are 5 key signs that you love food a little too much (if there is such a thing):

1. You can binge-watch cooking videos with no problem. Facebook is the devil when it comes to this or perhaps, Facebook is really a sweet angel. It depends on how you view it. Either case, you find yourself clicking on one cooking video that is randomly on your timeline and end up watching a playlist of 55 other recipes. The funny thing is you don't ever cook any of them. You simply are watching marathons of Buzzfeed's Tasty for the pure joy of it. That is some greediness for ya!

2. Your favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I mean the best thing about the holidays is the food... I mean family. 👀  But you know damn well you are more so thinking about that Thanksgiving spread though. It's like you've waited all year for this moment and then thee food gods just open up a plethora of deliciousness! Yeah, you can tell I love that food porn when I start getting Shakespearean about it. Don't judge me.

3. You plan your whole day around food. Every day, your first thoughts are about what you are going to have for breakfast, what you're bringing for lunch and what you'll have for dinner. Oh and let's not forget about the snacks. The rest of life will just have to just work around those golden moments of flavors and fun.

4. You love going out to eat by yourself or with friends. Sometimes, you give no fucks and decide that food is more important than company so you take yourself out to eat because you remember that succulent steak that you couldn't resist so you, the go-getter that you are, will sit at the fanciest restaurant with your best threads for the best date ever - Filet mignon. I mean who needs friends when food is around? Just saying...  And whenever a friend ask you what you want to do, you immediately say "Let's go to that new restaurant. I heard they got some good food there." You really know you got it bad when you are down to go out to eat no matter the time of day because you're game for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dunch and dinner.

5. You have that signature dance move when you are eating something really good. Let me just let Janet take this one for me.

janet, janet jackson eating, love food dance, food, eating, greedy

Looks familiar? Then you, my fellow greedy friend, may love food a little too much just like me. :)

Now it's your turn, tell me how much do love food? Are you part of the greedy committee? Let's talk about it!