Julia's Future by Linda Westphal Page A

desperately
need some answers. I can no longer see my future. It’s as if it
vanished when my husband died.
    “I don’t understand what’s happening to me,”
I sob as I blow my nose into a tissue. “The future I thought I had
is gone. Inside it feels as if the world has stopped, yet I’m
expected to keep going—go to work, pay the mortgage, raise my
son.”
    Lily lightly taps my knee. “Close your eyes,
dear, relax. Think about the happiest moment in your life.”
    I force my shoulders to relax, and close my
eyes.
    “How do you feel?” Lily asks. “Tell me about
your happiest moment. Who are you with?”
    “I’m with Sam and Taylor, on an airplane.
It’s our first trip together. Taylor’s 13 months old.” I giggle.
“The stewardess is pinning wings on his shirt.”
    “ You’re doing fine,” Lily
says in a soothing voice. “Now go back farther in time—when you
were Taylor’s age. What do you see?”
    As if on command, my mind leaps back in time
until I see myself peering out a large window at hills of snow that
fell during the night. The snow blocked the front door and was
threatening to block our view out the window. “I see a lot of
snow,” I tell Lily.
    “You’re doing very well. Now go back even
farther—before your birth. Tell me what you see.”
    “I’m on a beach … sitting in an Adirondack
chair … looking at the ocean. Someone’s walking toward me. It’s a
woman. I don’t recognize her, but I feel as if I know her. She’s
beautiful … tall, with straight long black hair, dark eyes.”
    Lily leans forward and touches my arm.
“She’s your spirit guide. Ask her to tell you her name.”
    The beautiful woman sits in the sand in
front of my chair, looks at me and smiles. “What’s your name?” I
ask her.
    “Sadie,” she replies with a slight Spanish
accent.
    “Sadie ,” I repeat slowly, searching my mind for when we might have
met. “Are you my spirit guide?”
    “Yes. We have known each other for many
lifetimes. I am here to help you in this lifetime.”
    Suddenly, I feel an overwhelming rush of
warmth, like love, run through my body. “I’ve seen you in my
dreams,” I whisper.
    Sadie smiles. “It’s the only place you
listen to my words. You refuse to hear me when you’re awake. Julia,
you must pay attention in this lifetime. Watch for signs of help
from the Other Side. When your instincts tell you the sign is for
you, listen. You will need to use this basic human sense to
accomplish your life’s destiny.”
    I gasp and hold my breath for an
instant.
    “Julia, don’t worry about your future. It
has already been decided. All you have to do is live. Take one day
at a time if it’s difficult for you right now. Just follow your
heart. And spend time alone—get to know yourself. This will bring
the peace you’re looking for.”
    Sadie continues. “The sorrow you feel when
you think of Sam’s death will always be with you, but over time
your sadness will change to deep love and understanding. You will
never forget him, nor should you. One day you’ll realize why this
event was destined to change your life, and Taylor’s. You will also
see how much you’ve grown because of it. You will accomplish great
things in the years ahead, Julia, and bring happiness to many
people you don’t know.”
    I begin to sob, finally
releasing all the emotions I had held inside from the moment I saw
Sam’s dying body. There’s an important
reason for me to be alive after all I
thought.
    I feel a sudden sense of freedom and love of
life. It’s as if I can hardly wait for the future to unfold.
    Sadie stands and kisses my cheek. “I’m
always with you, Julia, even when your fear is so strong it cuts
off your ability to sense me. Nothing in your life happens by
accident. Every act, meeting, argument, lucky break—everything—is
meant to help you grow to fulfill your destiny during this
lifetime.”
    Sadie smiles. “All is well, dear Julia, all
is well.”
    I'm alone again on