We have a dog. He is a mix between a Chihuahua and a Dachshund, a Chiweenie they call them. His name is Chewy, and he is 9 years old. He was the runt of the pack and has been with us since he was 5-weeks old. For us, he is family, and we treat him like so. Chewy is a smart little guy, and he understands what we talk about. It happened on more than one occasion and here is my proof.
What Not to Say at Home
At least once a week, my family and I enjoy an ice cream treat from the Twistee Treat nearby. Chewy enjoys it, too. Every time we take him along with us, he gets a free pup cup. Unfortunately, we cannot say the name at home because he whines loudly for us to take him. The prohibited words are ice cream, helado, mantecado (we’re bilingual so he understands both English and Spanish), that cold thing, the frozen thing — he associates these words with the delicious sweet treat from Twisty Treat. Therefore, when we consider having ice cream, we dance around the words with either spelling or other related things if we don’t want him to ride along. Of course, we always bring him a pup cup, anyway.
He Is a Nosy Little Guy Too
One night, my son and I wandered outside to take Chewy to do his business before heading to bed. It was a beautiful, clear, starry night with a full moon. So bright and energetic that it caught our attention as soon as we stepped outside. My son and I commented on how beautiful the sky seemed — the glowing stars twinkling and the full moon so bright. We had spent a good 5 minutes out there, so I figured Chewy had completed his business. I searched for him in the yard but did not see him. He was standing next to me, staring at the sky, too.
I thought it was funny that he was staring at the sky and said to him,
“Hey, why are you listening to our conversation?” I said once I got his attention. “Do your business since that is what you came out here to do.”
He then walked towards the grass and did his business.
My son and I stared at each other while laughing. It was as if he really understood what we were talking about.
A Deep Conversation with Chewy
There was another incident that had me questioning myself. Chewy sleeps in our room but in his crate. I tuck him in every night. Believe it or not, he wants his covers over his entire body. Therefore, he will sit in his crate until we come to tuck him in. We never close it, and he sleeps well until about 4 or 5 a.m. when he jumps onto our bed. He snuggles between my husband and me. One night, my husband shifted from his back to his side and Chewy began growling. The shifting around in bed disturbed Chewy’s sleep, and he did not like that. We called him out on it, and he calmed down. But the next night it got worse. His growling was louder and aimed at both my husband and me. After calming him down, we went back to sleep.
The next morning, while I dressed my bed, I had a little chat with Chewy. He was sitting on the floor and stared at me as I said to him. “Good morning Chewy. We need to talk about your behavior these past two nights.”
Yes Mom, I understand — photo by the author
Pointing towards my bed, I said, “This is Dad’s and mom’s bed. This is not your bed.”
Pointing towards his crate, I continued, “That is your bed. The next time you come to my bed and begin growling, I will pick you up and lock you in your bed. So, if you want to continue sleeping with mom and dad, you must be on your best behavior. No growling. Understood?”
Of course, he did not respond and just stared at me with those beautiful puppy eyes. That night before tucking him into bed (his crate). I said to him, “Remember this morning’s conversation? If you jump on my bed and growl at us when we move, I will grab you and bring you back to your crate and lock it.” I said my goodnight, gave him a kiss and tucked him in.
That night, I heard him, as usual, shake off the covers. Then he jumped on our bed and accommodated himself. When my husband shifted around in bed, I waited for Chewy’s growling, but he did not growl.
“Hm, maybe he didn’t feel it,” I thought, so I shifted around and heard nothing. Not a peep came from Chewy. I placed my hand on him to make sure he was okay. He raised his head but did not make a sound.
It has been about three weeks since this incident. So far, my conversation with Chewy worked, because he has not growled at us in bed ever since. And that, my friends, is why I believe dogs understand our conversations.
I began writing a series on immigration almost two years ago. The book was about three-fourths completed and even though I knew how it would continue to unfold; I slacked on finishing it. But after an encouraging message this past week from a dear friend of mine, I opened the file where I had left off and completed it. I’m not sure if it will be a hit or not. I am happy with the results but was nervous about publishing.
Immigration is a hot topic in the United States. While some fight for the rights of North Americans, others advocate for human rights regardless of where you are from. Everyone knows how it should be or has an opinion to give. But no one really knows what goes on during the process. This story is the first issue of a series on immigration. What made the immigrants run away from their country? The process they went through when arriving in North America. Their daily struggles before becoming an American citizen. I based this series on true stories expressed by current immigrants living in the United States.
Here’s an excerpt from the Book
Carmen had a good life in Colombia. She was a widow raising four children on her own after a serious illness took her husband’s life. After her husband’s death, she overcame the tragic event of his death and, with determination, lifted her family. Carmen had a house, job, health, and a loving family. But another family tragedy put their lives in danger. She never thought they would take her away from the only life she had known to save her and her children from the guerilla. Now Carmen must fend for herself and her children in the United States with the uncertainty of ever going back to her native country of Colombia.
It’s been a challenging couple of weeks. My elderly father is in town. He is slow-paced in his ways but then again, he’s 81-years-old. Dad is quite smart and even though he is not too knowledgeable about the latest technology, once he learns, he’s unstoppable. A few months ago, he discovered YouTube. It was miraculous for him. As an avid gardener, he began researching anything and everything regarding gardening. Every time I called him, he would give me a lecture on how to fertilize this, and how to water that, and so on.
“You don’t have YouTube,” Dad would tell me.
“Dad, of course, I have access to YouTube. It is everywhere for anyone to access,” I’d respond.
“No, but in my YouTube, I learn how to care for my garden,” he’d reply.
Realizing he did not understand the YouTube concept, I opted to let it be. Dad watched the YouTube videos on his home television but claimed it was hard to navigate the keyboard on the remote. While there is a television in the bedroom he’s using, there is no extra keyboard, but I had an older laptop that was no longer in use. I asked him if he’d like to have it. His eyes gleamed with excitement as a child does. Therefore, I set up the laptop for his use and gave it to him. It thrilled him to learn to use it.
I Need to be Patient
While sometimes it annoyed me to repeat things, it also made me realize his mind was not as sharp as before and I needed to have patience. I took a couple of breaths in and out to calm myself and patiently taught him how to navigate a laptop. I’m also aware he used my son’s expertise to master his way around the internet.
Upgrade to a Newer Phone
Just a few days ago, while we spent some time together, I noticed his old school cell phone. He told me he has had it for the past six or seven years. I asked him if he’d like to upgrade it. My son had recently upgraded his cell phone and still held on to his old iPhone XS. When he excitedly told me he would love to as long as he didn’t have to pay anything, I laughed but got to work on switching phones. He is still learning his way around the iPhone but is keen to learn and picks up quickly.
Dad’s Emoji — Photo by the Author
Emoji Fun and Email
Today, I taught him how to create his own emoji. He laughed at it and said it did not look like him. But I could tell he was excited to use it — especially when I heard he sent his wife the emoji.
He also inquired about the E-mail address I created for him. “What is this and what is it for?” he asked.
“That’s your E-mail address Dad?” I replied.
“What does it do?” he asked.
I explained how and what the E-mail is for. I’m quite surprised he understood it so quickly.
“It’s like writing a letter and sending it, but instead of sending it through regular mail, you send it through the internet,” he responded.
“Yes Dad, that’s exactly what it is,” I said, as I looked at his gleaming eyes.
They Taught Us
My point is, I’ve heard people complain about how their elderly parents have forgotten how to perform some basic things and they have to reteach them. While I was teaching my father how to use a laptop and an iPhone, I realized how fragile their minds are. I had patience in teaching my children, just like my parents had it with me. I remembered how Dad taught me to drive with patience and perseverance. He never scolded or gave up on me. Therefore, why can’t I have the patience to help him in his time of need? Every day he asks me something regarding his iPhone, and I learned to respond to his questions patiently and sweetly.
Therefore, never forget that possibly one day, we will all be at the other end of this journey and will need our children’s help. So be patient and nice while responding to their questions and/or teaching them about something not familiar to them, because they were patient and nice to you.
Today I went to Walmart. I don’t shop at Walmart and avoid it at all costs. If I need anything from there, I order it online and have it delivered. It has worked fine. Therefore, when my 81-year-old father asked me to take him to Walmart, I cringed but took him, anyway. My idea was to drop him off at the entrance and let him shop while I waited in the parking lot. Then I thought about how dangerous it can be for him. It would be like a baby dangerously crawling around a buffalo stampede, so I opted to go in with him.
Courtesy is no Longer Existent
It’s difficult to walk around Walmart taking tiny baby steps with an 81-year-old. People have little to no patience and shove their way between you and others just to get one of the hundreds of canned corn or whatever they are so desperate for. That’s when I stay close by to protect my father from getting shoved or pushed to the ground. People leave their carts in the middle of the aisle to grab an item when there’s clearly plenty of space for two carts. Some even give you a dirty look when you say, “Excuse me” to get through. The employees are no exception at all. They stand in the aisles and are bothered if we gather an item which they are replacing or if we ask them a question. I’m sure it’s not all of them, unfortunately, I haven’t come across any who are not.
Baby Steps — Forever Steps
My father needed only a few things, twelve items to be exact. It took us an entire hour to gather those twelve items. Not only because they’re scattered throughout the store, but because of the baby steps we were taking. If I was tired of taking those baby steps, I can’t imagine how my father felt.
Ready to Check Out
After gathering all the items, we headed towards the cash registers. They were full, but since we only had twelve items, we could use the 20 items or fewer register. Woo-hoo! But wait, why is it so slow? Never mind, we’re in Walmart. There’s little to no courtesy or consideration here. Let alone people who take their time to read where it clearly states, “20 ITEMS OR FEWER.” So there we were at the 20 items or fewer line waiting for the couple with 40+ items to finish.
A Good Deed
The gentleman behind us asked if he could cut in front since he only had three items. “Please do, sir,” I responded. It would not bother me to let him pass. He kindly thanked me and replied, “You are not from here. People here are not polite. Where are you from?” See, even he realized people are not courteous here. We chit-chatted a bit until he was ready to check out. Once he checked out, it was our turn and I could not be happier.
Yes, today I took my elderly father to Walmart. The place I dislike shopping at the most. Not only are the social media memes about Walmart accurate, but there’s also a lack of courtesy or respect. It is unfortunate we have succumbed to this level within society. I sure hope people begin to shift their awareness to a politeness level and that I don’t have to go to Walmart ever again.
COVID just about paused the entire world except for scammers. They continue to find their way through phone calls, emails, texts, and even social media. I recently spoke to a young man which I’ll call Daniel, who was in this situation.
A Consumers Revenge
As we spoke, Daniel mentioned receiving scam emails and calls daily – about 3-4 times on average to where a scammer tried to scam him through Instagram. It fed Daniel up, but he knew that getting angry would not make the scams go away. Instead, he opted to follow their lead and tried to scam the scammer.
The Scammer was not Local
A lot of these scams come from abroad. You can easily tell by the way they word their context. To keep the conversation original, I did not change any of the words or phrases or correct the grammar. Therefore, you will see many errors. But I think you will enjoy how it unfolds. The conversation between Daniel and the scammer by the name of Shayzanco went on for a few days. Here is how the conversation followed:
Scammer Shayzanco: Hey,
Daniel: Hey, what’s up?
Scammer Shayzanco: Pleasant good day how are you doing at this moment, would you like to make some extra cash from this system?
Daniel: Haha, I was waiting for that. What have you got? Tell me about “this system.” How does it work?
Scammer Shayzanco: Ok I’m searching for only loyal person to help so they can earn cash on a daily basic. Do you have an available cash app are Zelle? This is a monitored business, which simply means your money is more than guaranteed. Also, your money is cash refundable, so this is a must that you get your cash back. We are also partnered with the IRS publication 4577 Security Enact System, The FTC so it’s impossible for you to lose your hard-working cash.
Daniel: Hmm, interesting. What is it I will invest in? Is it stocks, housing, etc? How much would be the return if, let’s say, I invest $1,000? How long does it take and how can I guarantee you will not disappear with my money?
Scammer Shayzanco: Okay no problem, You’ll be doing a same-day investment. The amount you invest determines your how much you receive back, for example: Say you did a transaction of $200 I can access it and make it $4,500 on the system within 2-5 minutes process and I only charge $100 for that leaving you with $4,400 in your pocket. I always charge base on how much you do. If you can’t agree to send my cut after receiving, we cannot do business! I do this with LOYAL people, agreed? Do you got an available cash app are Zelle?
Daniel: Yes, but before we proceed, I would like to know what it is. How does this business generate money? Before you talk money, what is the concept of the business? Is it selling something, investing, marketing? If you are looking for loyal people, you first need to convince them. No one is loyal to a stranger. So, what is this that you offer?
Scammer Shayzanco: This is where the money is coming from. We sum up investors funds worldwide and invest in multimillion dollars investments such as betting, sports, house foreclosure, trading, stocks, etc., and give investors a percentage of the profit. Because our company is generating billions of dollars by doing this, we are able to turn your hundreds into thousands easily.
Daniel: So, you are telling me that if I were to invest $200, you can flip it into $4,500, returning me $4,400 in 2-5 minutes?
Scammer Shayzanco: Right, also you could get started first with $100 and receive back $2,500, then from there you could invest again.
Daniel: By that logic why don’t you just keep flipping your own money and become a billionaire?
Scammer Shayzanco: It’s my job and also, I got paid from the system, and once you wanna keep flipping you could till whenever you want.
Daniel: Seems like it would be easy to get rich off it. What if I invest 10k? Or does it have to be $100? I like to go big or go home; you know. I like a challenge.
Scammer Shayzanco: Look if you want to get started with the process let me know because your not talking business, seems like you don’t trust it are something.
Daniel: I’m just trying to figure out what I’ll be investing in.
Scammer Shayzanco: I already told you. Once you do this you are going to be happy and satisfied that all of my clients because this is 100% real and legit and also your cash can always be refund and reimburse.
Daniel: Well, you would not need a job if you were a billionaire with this system. Sounds like it would be an unlimited source of money. And why would I need a refund if my $100 could turn into $4,400 in 2-5 minutes? Wouldn’t it take just as long to issue a refund?
Scammer Shayzanco: Because I’m just telling you that your money could also refund back.
Daniel: Then I will keep investing what I profit. It is a win-win. Every time I do it, you get $100. You cannot go wrong with that.
Scammer Shayzanco: You need to make the payment first that how your going to earn back cash from this system, I understand that you don’t go the full payment, so I’m going to ask how much you got at this moment?
Daniel: Oh, I got the full payment. I want to put in $1000. But first, I want to know why you are not rich yet. If this works, why not take advantage of it? It is kind of sketchy man. Tell you what, prove to me its real. Cash app me $100. If I get it and it is all legit, I will send you $100 for the first round. How about this, you invest the $100 for me, then when you flip it send me back $4,400? Actually, send me back $4,300 for the other $100 you charge. I will throw in a tip too, like $50.
Scammer Shayzanco: Look I guess your not interested okay.
Daniel: Hey, I am trying to talk business here. I am totally interested. I believe that is a brilliant suggestion I gave. If you used “the system” you surely have $100 to spare for me. Think about it, we can work together on this and make millions. You will be able to quit your job. You know what, since I do not want to miss this opportunity, I’ll make a deal with you. I feel like we have developed a bit of a friendship in this conversation. So how about we work as partners and go in 50/50 and we divide all profits straight down the middle. Seems like it’s a little fairer than just $100 for you. But you also have to put in money. We both startup with $50 for which will equal the $100 we need for investment. What do you say?
The scammer did not respond to Daniel until the next day:
Scammer Shayzanco: Hey good morning
Daniel: Good morning, what do you have for me today?
Scammer Shayzanco: Do you have cashapp are Zelle to put $100?
Daniel: It’s kinda sketchy, man. I’ll tell you what, prove to me it’s real. Cash app me $100. If I get it and it’s all legit, I will send you $100 for the first try of “the system.”
Scammer Shayzanco: You every hard they said don’t be the one that you want it all, because you will lose it all then that’s.
Daniel: Who’s “they?” Nah, sorry man, haven’t heard it. Probably because it doesn’t really make much sense. I mean, if it’s legit, why would you be afraid. And if you lose it, why not just use “the system” again and get it back? I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you my cash app, you send me the $100 and I’ll send you back $250. $100 for “the system” and $150 for you. Then you give me back the $4,350. Let’s do this.
Scammer Shayzanco: Yes but how would I know whenever you receive the payment you not just going to blocked me?
Daniel: Wow, why would you assume I would do that? I feel kind of hurt that you would assume that about me. I thought we were developing a good relationship with trust and loyalty. Wow, I have to be honest, that kind of hurt my feelings. I thought we were past that part. This is business, man. I’m serious about business.
Scammer Shayzanco: Okay bet.
The Following Day
Scammer Shayzanco: I don’t think you mean business
Daniel: What do you mean? I told you my proposition. I think it’s a great idea. We could have been rich by now. Every 2-5 minutes we are losing $4,400. Imagine what we could have generated overnight.
Scammer Shayzanco: Okay, so you wanna put $50 right?
Daniel: Are you going to match it up with $50 more? Are we going in this as partners? 50/50 we can both be rich that way.
Scammer Shayzanco: Yes but how would I know whenever you receive the payment you not just going to blocked me?
Daniel: I’m thinking you are not taking this deal or this partnership seriously. I can’t stress enough how important it is that we get everything in order so we can proceed to the next step. I have arranged a Zoom meeting with my lawyers so we can discuss this further. Also, for taxes, we must do this by the book. Since you guys comply with the IRS, we must do the same. So, we are going to have to incorporate a business. We are planning on an S Corp which seems to be the best way to go. I’ll get started on that. In the meantime, you get the cash flowing. We need to be on this. Every 2-5 minutes wasted is a possible $4,500 going down the drain. Money first via Cash app, then we can make this happen. Remember, we are going in this as a team. Once we start, we have to keep going until we both have over 100 billion in our accounts. I’ll have my lawyers draft a contract, so we are both protected. It’s a lot of money you know, don’t want any slip-ups.
Blocked by a Scammer
Scammer Shayzanco has not replied for a while. Upon further investigations, Daniel realized they blocked him from their account. Was Daniel able to scam the scammer? No, but at least he got the scammer out of his way and wasted the scammer’s time!
80-year-old chenille bead spread sprawled as best as it could on my king-size bed – photo by author
A Priceless Gift
I inherited my grandmother’s 80+-year-old vintage Chenille bedspread and am ecstatic about it! It is white with patterns of flowers in pink and yellow raised yarn. The bedspread is in pristine condition. I once read somewhere on the internet that Chenille dates back to the 18th century and originated in France. But do not take my word for it because I can not recall the source.
To continue my story, last month (May 2021) we traveled to Puerto Rico. The whole intention of this small trip was to spend time with my 90-year-old mother-in-law and my 81-year-old dad. There is only one life and with aging parents, we do not know how much more time we will have them around, so we wanted to spend some time with them.
The Unexpected Surprise
While visiting my dad, he mentioned he had his mother’s Chenille 80+-year-old vintage bedspread. Dad said he is sure it is 80 years old, but it could be older. Grandma was already 40-years-old when my dad was born and he is the youngest out of about fifteen (more or less) children. According to my dad, Grandma only dressed her bed with the Chenille bedspread on Mother’s Day and Dad recalls seeing her do so. Unbeknownst to my dad, my aunt inherited the bedspread, but she recently gave it to my dad. Dad took it though he knew he would not use it. And, even though I have two other sisters, he immediately thought of me. While he was telling me his story, I could not stop thinking about Grandma and my conversation during meditation a few months ago. This was certainly a sign, and it was meant for me.
Communicating with my Spirit Guides
Ever since I can remember, I have always been an intuitive Empath. My parents knew and understood me. They never judged or told me I was imagining things, but they did not understand it themselves. As an adult, I learned to use and control my gifts. I constantly use meditation and yoga to maintain my sanity, relax, and raise my awareness. Through this method, I communicated with my spiritual guides. I learned that one of my spirit guides is my grandmother on my father’s side. Therefore, I reach out to her and my other spirit guides often. During one of those meditative sessions a few months ago, I told my grandmother I wished I had something that belonged to her as a memento.
It Was Meant to Be
I mentioned that meditative conversation to my dad. He was very understanding and told me, “That explains why you were the first one to come to my mind when my sister gave it to me. It was for you. Your grandma granted your wish.”
I agree with my dad. It was definitely a gift from my grandma, granting my wish. I am happy with my new 80+-year-old vintage Chenille bedspread. Unfortunately, I cannot use it since the full-size bedspread does not fit my king-size bed. But that’s okay, I’ll cherish it for as long as I live.
COVID struck in my family. As much as some of us tried to steer away from crowds and gatherings to protect our 81-year-old mother, it wasn’t enough. Mom caught the virus, and it was not pretty. It frustrated me to hear people downplaying it like the flu and saying Mom was pretending. People who did not bother to check on her while sick in her apartment, call while she was at the hospital, or even inquire about her health. It’s okay to believe whatever, it’s each one’s choice and we are all individual beings. But to downplay a condition when they know nothing about medicine, are not healthcare workers, and were not there to see what was going on is downright wrong.
Mom Does Not Feel Well
On February 24th, Mom told me she was not feeling well. I asked her what were the symptoms? She said she felt a lot of body ache, sore throat, tiredness, a lot of coughing, and a weird metallic taste in her mouth.
“Do you have a fever?” I asked.
“No, I don’t have a fever,” she responded.
It concerned me because she lives alone in an apartment with only her dog as a companion. My thought was she had COVID. Although I live quite close to her, the thought of me contracting the virus and spread it to my family worried me. But I needed to help Mom. I continued to call a few times a day to check on her status and brought over foods she requested or I knew would help nourish her. I took her dog, Precious, home with me thinking it’d be less work for her since she did not have to feed or walk Precious. But Mom called asking me to bring Precious back home because she missed her, so I did. I always wore my mask and never got near to Mom, hug or kiss her even though I wanted to. It hurt to see her so sick.
“Mom, let’s go to the doctor,” I said a few times.
“No, I don’t want to go, but I’ll call my doctor and let her know what’s going on,” she promised.
Mom made good on her promise and contacted her physician. They sent Mom for a chest x-ray, which she did the following Monday.
About a week into Mom’s illness, when I called her, she did not answer the call. It was about 9:00 a.m. I figured she’s asleep, and since I had two appointments that day, I thought I’d call her after my first appointment. The phone rang and rang, but she didn’t pick up. “She’s probably taking Precious for a walk. I’ll call after my second appointment,” I thought to myself.
It was 3:00 p.m. when I tried ringing her again and no answer. I worried me she wasn’t responding, so I drove directly to her home. It’s a good thing I have a key to her apartment and could enter without problems. However, in my rush to check in on Mom, I forgot to wear a mask.
Precious was barking incessantly as I walked in. “Mom!” I called out, but no answer. I dashed straight into her bedroom where I found Mom all bundled up on her bed. “Mom,” I yelled out and nothing. “Mom,” I called again and nudged her until she finally opened her eyes.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Not realizing how long she had slept, “I’m okay,” she responded.
“I’ve been trying to reach you, but you didn’t answer the phone,” I told her.
“I didn’t hear the phone,” she said. “The doctor gave me a prescription for the cough and it makes me sleepy.”
“Okay,” I replied. “So what was the chest x-ray diagnosis?” I asked.
“She said my lungs are clear,” Mom responded.
“Did she send you to get tested for COVID?” I asked.
“No,” Mom responded.
“Mom, I think you should get tested. I’ll take you and get myself tested too,” I told her.
“I don’t want to get tested. Besides, I’m feeling better,” she responded.
“You don’t look better. Did you eat?” I asked.
“I’m not hungry, Mom replied.
“Mom, you need to eat something. Tell you what. I haven’t had lunch yet. How about if we order something to eat? What would you like?”
“I’m not hungry, but some soup sounds good,” she said.
“Okay, I’ll order some soup for both of us from Panera Bread,” and I placed the order.
Caring for My Ailing Mom
We sat down together and chatted while we waited for our lunch to arrive. She was not her total self but was happy that I was there with her. When our order arrived, we sat together at the dining table and ate. Unfortunately, she could only eat about three spoonfuls of soup and wanted no more. She claimed the metal taste in her mouth made her nauseous. It concerned me she wasn’t eating properly.
Looking in her refrigerator, I saw that the meals I had brought over for her to eat during the week were half eaten or not even touched and still in her fridge. I spent a few more hours with her until she could no longer stay awake and wanted to go to sleep. I stayed until Precious ate and I could take her downstairs for her walk and made sure Mom was not needing anything else, then I went home. Once at home, I realized that while I was with Mom; I did not use a mask. There was nothing I could do now. How long was Mom contagious, I didn’t know. I could only pray I didn’t catch whatever Mom had.
It was not easy but I continued to monitor Mom and tried to help as much as possible. Between work and my home, I couldn’t spend much time with her. It worried me to see how much weight she had lost. She was not eating at all, and I doubt she was drinking any water since she complained about the metallic taste.
We Need to Get Tested
That weekend I could finally convince her to get tested with me. So on Sunday night, I told her I’d pick her up after work on Monday and we’d both get tested. However, she claimed she didn’t want to go because three family members told her that if she got tested, she would definitely test positive because everyone that gets tested, comes out positive.
I was livid! How dare they impose their beliefs on an 80-year-old? They were not there to see how sick she looked, how much weight she’d lost, and how much she needed a diagnosis to properly care for her healing. I contacted the persons who misinformed her and demanded they corrected their wrongdoing. They promised they would speak with her if they needed to. Fortunately, she accepted to go with me the next day.
On Monday, March 8th, after work, I picked Mom up and headed to the testing center. Mom was so weak and could barely walk. I felt terrible to see my Mom like this but was glad she accepted to be tested. We wouldn’t get our results until Wednesday, so I dropped Mom off at her home and went straight to mine.
I Trusted My Intuition
That night was quite restless for me. I am a very intuitive person and something kept telling me to go over to my Mom’s house. I was up by 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Therefore, I prepared myself and was about to leave when my husband asked me, “where are you going?”
“I’m going to Mom’s house,” I responded.
“Aren’t you going to eat breakfast first?” he asked.
“No, I’ll make breakfast over there and hopefully she’ll eat with me,” I replied, and I was off to Mom’s.
Even though I had spoken and seen her during the week, I had not been inside her apartment since the previous Wednesday and I was in shock at what I walked into.
Another Sign Mom Was Not Well
Mom is a clean freak. Her home is always super neat, clean, and aromatic. But as I walked in, I was struck with a horrific smell. There were dirty dishes in the sink, the garbage needed taking out, and all those times she said she was taking Precious out for her walks—well; it wasn’t true. The garbage bins in her kitchen and bathroom were full of pee-pee pads, which were soiled—a sign Precious was not walked. Mom was a bit confused when I walked in with the breakfast groceries. The first thing I did was take the garbage out and disinfect the apartment, feed the dog, and take her out for a walk before beginning breakfast.
Confusion and Delirium Began
Once back, I began with breakfast. At that moment, Mom told me she had not paid the rent and asked if I could take the check to the office, to which I replied I could. She got up from the sofa and walked into her bedroom when suddenly I heard a loud thump.
I ran into her bedroom and there laid Mom on the floor. She had lost her balance and fell. I tried helping her up, but she had no strength and I couldn’t get her up. She kept her right hand as if she was holding something. I monitored her, thinking she might have a seizure because of the way she was moving her hand.
“Is your hand hurting Mom?” I asked.
“No, hold this,” she said, but there was nothing in her hand.
“There’s nothing there, Mom. What do you want me to hold?” I asked.
“Here, hold it!” she yelled.
I didn’t know what was going on and I couldn’t help her get up, so I contacted my husband to stop by before he left to work. But Mom was so weak, she couldn’t sustain herself for us to get her up, so I had no other choice than to call 911. I stayed with her while they arrived. She seemed confused and didn’t look well at all. The paramedics arrived in less than 15 minutes. They could not get any straight answers from her. She seemed confused, delirious, very weak, and her vitals were a bit off. She’s a diabetic, and if she was not eating, that was not doing her any good. The Paramedics transported her to the hospital.
She Tested Positive
I was glad that Mom went to the hospital because I knew she would get the proper care she needed. Other than vitals taken, they tested again her for COVID, but the results would be in on that same day. However, I noticed she was very forgetful. I thought maybe she was tired but there was also the incident at her apartment which told me something else was going on. Then the results came in. Mom tested positive for COVID and was going into isolation. The nurses changed Mom into a hospital gown and gave me her clothes. They did not allow me to go into Mom’s room or even say goodbye to her.
“Can I at least hand the cell phone to her?” I asked.
“I’ll give it to her,” said the nurse, and she handed me a sheet with instructions to follow in order to see Mom the next day.
Once home, I called the number on the sheet and scheduled an appointment to see Mom. The hospital policy was one visitor per day for 30 minutes. I had to be suited up with protective gear provided by the hospital and follow certain rules before going in and after exiting the room. I was okay with that just as long as I could visit Mom. Once done with scheduling the appointment, I returned to her apartment to clean and disinfect it and took Precious home with me. I was not about to leave her alone in the apartment. Also, I had to make sure that Mom’s apartment was in optimal condition before she came home.
That Was Not My Mom
The next day I visited Mom. She seemed so frail in that hospital bed. She was silent and said she felt extremely tired. I spent 30 minutes with her until they kicked me out. Once at home at around 5:30 p.m. I received a call from Mom. Since my son was with me at that moment, I put her on speaker.
“Hi Mom, how are you?” I asked.
“Why did you leave?” she asked.
“Because they didn’t allow me to stay any longer,” I responded.
“But, how am I going to get home? I don’t know my way home,” she said.
At that point, both my son and I noticed this was not Mom. “You’re staying there tonight, Mom. Don’t worry, I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” I replied and changed the conversation. “Did you eat, Mom?” I asked.
“I’m eating now,” she responded.
“What are you eating?”
“Mac and cheese, and, umm, umm, I don’t know,” she said.
We said a few more things and hung up. However, that conversation was puzzling to me and my son. It was as if she had dementia or something like it.
The next day, Thursday, March 11th, the ringing of the phone awakened at 6:00 a.m. It was Mom’s nurse calling. Apparently, Mom tried leaving and was yanking the tubes off so she had to be restrained. The nurse didn’t want me to be surprised when I got there. It was disturbing to me to hear this. Mom was not a belligerent person. My appointment was not until 2:00 p.m. and they did not allow me to go in any earlier. However, when I arrived at the hospital, she was no longer in isolation. Further testing showed her plasma levels were higher than expected, which meant she had COVID for some time and therefore no longer contagious. I could stay with her for as long as I wanted.
The Moment I Panicked the Most
However, as I walked in towards Mom, it broke my heart. They physically restrained her arms from the bed. I understand it was for her own good, but it was horrific to see. She didn’t know who she was, or who I was. Even though she joked with the nurses and doctors, it wasn’t my Mom. I did not know this woman, and she did not know me. It devastated me. Mom was seeing things that were not there. She kept talking as if her dog was there with her. Kept fumbling with the sheets as if actually doing something and would ask me to hold whatever imaginary thing she had in her hand. I told her a few times that she’d be out of there soon and I will take her home, but she said she didn’t know me and wasn’t going home with me. She kept on trying to sit up and get off the bed, but had no strength to do either. And she talked so many incoherent things.
I asked the nurse what happened to her, to which she responded, “You mean she’s normally not like this?”
“Not at all!,” I replied. “My Mom is an independent woman who lives by herself, has family get-togethers where she cooks, lives on a second floor with no elevators, takes her dog for daily walks twice a day, does arts and crafts, and drives!”
“Oh no,” responded the nurse. “We’ll have to get a neurologist to see her.”
Trying to Bring Mom Back
It was killing me to see her like this. I contacted my siblings and family members and asked they call her through FaceTime. We needed to jog her memory. I wanted my Mom back! Many family members called and even though she did not recognize them, she associated them with the correct family, so that was good. But it wasn’t enough. Mom kept on trying to pull herself out of the bed and constantly yanked on all the tubes and cables. The weekend seemed like an eternity. I cried and prayed so much and spend the weekend with her at the hospital. I wanted to stay overnight but, again, hospital policy did not allow it. But I was there as soon as visiting time began at 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. when they kicked me out. During that time, I talked to her a lot, trying to jog her memory, tried to feed her, gave her water, and tried everything possible to help her regain her strength. It was frightening not knowing what might happen.
The neurologist came by and could not believe that this woman was an independent person. He truly believed she had dementia and told me not to get my hopes up because at her age, even if she didn’t have dementia before, but after what she’s been through with the virus most likely she would never recuperate and never be independent again. That was devastating news, and I knew I had to prepare for anything. She was turning 81-years-old on March 21st, so maybe the neurologist was right. But no! My Mom comes from a long life family line. Her dad died at 96 and his memory was perfect until the day he died. And my grandmother will turn 98 years old in July and her mind is perfectly well. Heck, my grandma will recite poems from when she was 8-years-old. I could not fathom my Mom becoming senile at 80. I summoned all my prayer warriors and healers for my Mom’s health and I know they all put in their best efforts.
Feeling of Joy
On Sunday, March 14th, I arrived at the hospital as usual. I took a photo album with me to show her. I needed to try everything possible to help her regain her memory. She was asleep when I arrived. Once she opened her eyes, I noticed she would not move her arms or legs. She wouldn’t speak either. I tried to feed her breakfast, but she refused. So I offered to show her some photos to which she nodded yes. I began showing her the photos—especially the ones of her. I noticed tears streaming down her face from the corner of her eyes while she struggled to speak.
“Why am I here? Why am I like this?” she asked.
“Because you tested positive for COVID and were very sick,” I responded.
“I was?” she asked.
At that moment, the nurses walked in.
“Yes, you were. Do you know who I am?” I asked.
Mom nodded yes, and the nurse asked her, “Who is this lady?”
“She’s my daughter,” Mom responded.
I was so happy to hear her say that. Then I asked, “What’s my name?”
“Debbie,” she replied.
It was such a joyous moment. Even the nurses were tearing up. They took the restraints off. She still could not get up, but seemed to get better. She was still too weak. However, on that day, the Physical Therapist helped Mom to the chair in the room. Followed by taking a few steps the next day and so on. On Tuesday, March 16th, the doctor discharged Mom from the hospital with home care help until she regains her strength. Her mind is 98% back and is getting stronger each day.
Returning Back Home
My Mom is a stubborn woman and didn’t want to come back home to my house. She was adamant it had to be to her home. Therefore, with little strength and the help of my son, she walked up those stairs to her apartment. I moved in temporarily with her so I could care for her. A week in and she kicked me out of her apartment. My Mom was finally back! Never have I been so happy to be kicked out of any place!
Oh, and by the way. My test came back negative. See? Not everyone tests positive!
NOTE: Further COVID research shows that delirium and confusion are also side-effects of the virus among the elderly or as young as 50 years old. To read about particular cases go to COVID – Delirium, and Confusion for the latest CDC updates.
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” ~ John 11:25-26
I have written quite a few times about how I found my niche at the Church of Spiritual Awakening. I visited several Spiritualist churches going back and forth from church to church trying to get a feel or a sense of belonging. It took me a while to realize where I belonged.
The Church of Spiritual Awakening is unlike many other churches. Many of us believe in God, Lord, the Almighty, Infinite Spirit – whichever way you wish to call him/her, but don’t believe in certain religious doctrines. I grew up in the Catholic religion, however, there were certain things that did not sit well with me. As a child, I was sensitive to spirit. Something my parents nor sibling could see, feel or hear. I was lucky to have parents who didn’t judge me for what I saw, felt, or heard. They were always there and never made me feel uncomfortable or tell me it was my imagination.
Searching for answers within religion
As I grew up, I could no longer deny something was wrong with me. I didn’t understand it and frankly; I was afraid of it. So as a teenager, I joined the local neighborhood Catholic church. I played guitar in the choir and took part as much as I could in its ministries. One time I spoke with the Reverend explaining to him what I’ve felt ever since I was 4-years-old (that’s as far back as I could go). The Reverend suggested I contact the Rosicrucians. I didn’t know who they were or where to locate them, so I never even looked them up. Then again, there was no internet so it might have taken more time than what a teenager was willing to put in.
In the search for answers, I visited the Evangelical church and after a few visits felt compelled to let the pastor know what I felt. But during a service, I ended up running out when the pastor and congregation kept chanting and telling me to repent or the devil was coming for me. I also visited the Baptist church for a while and spoke to the pastor. He said the devil possessed me. When I was 18-years-old, I had my first session with a psychologist. That didn’t go any better. She wrote me a referral to a psychiatrist because, according to her, I was borderline schizophrenic. And that’s when I stopped searching for answers.
I found excuses of why I was seeing, hearing, or feeling inexplicable things.
“I probably saw it on the news,” I would think to myself. Or “I heard someone say it,” and so on.
There was always an excuse until eventually I just blocked it. It was always there, and every so often I would have an “episode.” But I put all my faith in God and just let it go.
The premonition that shook my core
Then one day, as I was driving my children home from school, I saw something that woke me up. As we waited for the light to change, an image came to my mind. It was an image of a car accident and a woman crawling out of the wrecked vehicle’s window with blood all over her face. She crawled out crying, looked at me, and extended her right arm towards me. I recognized that face! It was my cousin’s face. I panicked and began trembling when the honking of horns and my children signaled to me that the light had changed. I didn’t know what it meant or why I had felt it, but I tried to leave it behind. Two weeks after that incident, I received a frantic call from my mother.
“Debbie, please go check on your cousin. I just got word she had a car accident,” Mom said.
“WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?” I screeched out.
“Today close to you on the main road,” she replied.
I left as fast as I could and stopped by my cousin’s house. I was so relieved when she opened the door. They were all fine, just a little banged up. But that left me feeling so uneasy.
The guilt was killing me
“Why?” I thought. “Why would I wish this upon my cousin? How could I have done this to her?”
I felt so guilty. As if I had caused the accident. I couldn’t shake it out of my head. At that time, I was working at a church, so the next day, I spoke with the Pastor. I told him about the accident and how guilty I felt. Opening up was hard for me. It had been so long since I told anyone, but I told him about my experiences since young. I needed to let it out. I needed God’s forgiveness for having such horrific thoughts about my loving cousin.
The Pastor listened and reassured me I had nothing to be afraid of and need not feel any guilt. He told me I wasn’t alone. There were many like-minded people who felt, saw, and heard just like I did. He then encouraged me to meet them, which I did. That day, I realized I was not alone and much less crazy. I befriended a few like-minded individuals but still had my reservations about my feelings. Every so often I’d have a premonition. I learned to not hold on to it, but pass it on to the right individual. It helped some, but I still did not understand why.
A cruel awakening
It took a tragic event in my life for me to come to terms with it. My oldest son died in a pedestrian accident. My grief was unbearable. As a mom, I didn’t want to let go. In my mind, I always held a conversation with him and he responded. I had my doubts, though. One night, my sorrow was so deep I just needed to know. I cried so hard and prayed so much. Asking for God’s help, I prayed. I prayed for God to help me decipher this feeling – the hearing my son speak to me. If this was indeed from God, then teach me how to work with it and I will embrace it. But if it wasn’t, please take it away.
A few weeks later, while researching on the internet, I found the local Spiritualist churches. I loved its principles as I felt the same way. Hence, I visited quite a few before I decided that the Church of Spiritual Awakening was my home. I did many workshops at this center – Introduction to Spiritualism, Laying on of Hands Healing, Beginners Mediumship, Advanced Mediumship, among others, and also attended the Tuesday night Meditation Circle for a while.
I learned many things at the Church of Spiritual Awakening. One being that the spirit never dies {John 11:25-26}. That makes me feel at ease with myself and my gift. I know I’m not the only one either. Like me, there are many children, teens, and adults that do not understand the gift they have. A Spiritualist Church is a place where they can safely talk about it and learn to use their gifts positively. There are no judgments here. We welcome everyone to partake in our services and activities. It’s an open and affirming environment with lots of loving people.
Photo by Skitterphoto from Pexels
Accepting my gift is a blessing
I have finally accepted the gift Infinite Spirit has given me and would love nothing more than for the Church of Spiritual Awakening Center to have its own location instead of renting out space. As of now, we hold the meditation circle and Sunday services through Zoom. Though I miss our personal interaction, on the bright side, the building fund has continued to increase since there is no rent or utilities to pay. So, to reach our goal, we are having fundraisers.
This fundraiser and many others that we will have during the year, will not only help us increase our building fund; but will also bring awareness to what we represent. It is a loving atmosphere with people from all over the world coming together with a like-minded attitude. We love everyone and all are welcome.
This fundraiser is for masks. Everybody is wearing a mask – some are plain, some are creative – so why not support a worthy cause? We have unique designs and colors to choose from. So, if you feel compelled to help us raise funds for our new building, follow the link to the Spiritual Awakening fundraiser, make sure to put “Debbie Centeno” as the person you’re sponsoring, and thank you in advance for your support.
Today I read the most heart-warming story ever. It teared me up. I use the Nextdoor app within my neighborhood. A woman, which I’ll call Ann, who lives in a surrounding neighborhood, was writing to express her thanks to a stranger. She did not know him, but his interaction with her caused a great impact.
A Mother’s Nightmare
This month Ann experienced the worst nightmare a mother can go through. Her 19-year-old son died on February 3, 2021. I don’t know the details of his death, but it is not relevant in this story. Ann was driving back from picking up her son’s urn and ashes and stopped at the neighborhood supermarket for some groceries.
An Angel Among the Strangers
As she waited her turn at the deli counter, a kind gentleman who I’ll call Elvis and was also waiting his turn complimented her tattoo. He had a tattoo as well—an Elvis tattoo. They began to chit-chat while waiting, even though her mind was elsewhere. She could not fully describe him because of his mask. From what they spoke, she thought he might have been an Elvis impersonator when he was younger.
“When I had hair,” she recalls him saying. Then he sang a part of the Elvis song “Love Me Tender” to her.
Love me tender, love me sweet. Never let me go. You have made my life complete and I love you so.
A Message from Heaven
The lyrics Elvis sang tucked at her heart and emotions. She felt as if her son was singing the song to her. As if he was telling his mom to always hold him close. Even though it made Ann emotional, it gave her a sense of peace and joy on that day and for the days to follow. Little does the stranger, Elvis, know what he did for Ann. He did not know how she was feeling, or that she was grieving the loss of her son, and how much comfort he brought to her. Therefore, Ann took her story to Nextdoor to thank him.
I Can Relate
I don’t know Ann or Elvis, but this story touched me because, I too, am a grieving mother. My son was 20 years old when he died. I know the feeling of receiving a message from a stranger or someone known to me and sensing it came from my son. For me it is a sign that Infinite Spirit (God) is always there for us and will always provide us comfort because the spirit never dies. Infinite Spirit sends his angels to comfort us either through someone we know, a sign, song, or a stranger.
To the Stranger
I pray for God’s blessing for this stranger so he can continue to spread his love and healing through his music. Sending healing love and light to Ann and Elvis.
It’s the last day of the year 2020 — the year of the global pandemic, COVID-19. It’s new year’s eve and everyone is looking forward to the beginning of 2021, new hopes, new dreams, and new ventures. The social media venues are full of posts condemning 2020. The year 2020 brought so much heartache, hatred, disappointment, and loss to so many. Loss of lives, jobs, homes, and dreams.
“I can’t wait for 2020 to go away,” I have seen posted so many times.
I wonder what makes people believe that just because 2020 is over, the virus will magically disappear and everything will be back to the way it was before. Why dwell on how bad the year was? There’s nothing we can do to change what happened or what was. Why not attempt to see all the good in it?
Things to be Grateful For
Good? What was good about 2020? For starters, we are alive. Rise in the morning and be grateful that you could open your eyes. Be grateful for the loved ones who woke up next to you in bed or in your household. For your pets, the roof over your head, your fluffy pillow, and sheets that kept you warm. Be grateful if the virus did not affect you. If you caught COVID-19 and healed, be grateful too.
I see the year 2020 as a test. A test for all of us to realize who we are, our gifts, and what we have. A time for us to awaken and grow. We all have been given cards to deal with, and we make our own decisions on how to deal with these cards. Think about what you may have accomplished during the year 2020. So you spent most of your time at home — no trips, no gatherings, no socializing, blah, blah, blah. Did you use this time to do things you never had time to do before? Declutter your home, read a few books, redecorate your living quarters, ground yourself with nature, or just lounge around in blissful peace.
If you’re a parent, did you spend more time with your children doing meaningful stuff like playing board games, puzzles, teach them to cook, etc? Or just simply get to know them? Oh, believe me, I once had a conversation with a 7-year-old who told me she only danced in front of her friends and not her mom because she didn’t know her mom that well. Shocking, I know, but they’re out there.
So Much to Do, So Little Time
Returning to the topic on hand, did you take the time to reflect on your life and figure out how you can deal with your cards differently for your benefit? What did you accomplish in 2020? There is so much you could have achieved throughout this year. Yet many just complain they could not go out or have fun the conventional way.
I too had certain goals and resolutions for 2020, which I could not fulfill. But I didn’t focus on that. I set my intention to accomplish as much as I could according to what was happening worldwide. Yes, I could not travel this year, which is big for me. But that just means I’ll take an extra trip when there’s no more COVID-19 threat. So, this year l focused on my other goals and completed 90% of them.
My Thoughts Create My Luck
If you’re thinking that it was just luck, you’re wrong. My accomplishment was not because of luck or wealth. It happened because I believe it’s a matter of mindset. I focused on all the good that would come from the situation at hand and did not give a second thought about all the bad that could happen. Also, I learned not to worry. The way I see it is, can I do something about it? If I can, then I do it. If not, then let it go — hence no need to worry because worrying will not solve any problems but just give us more. When we focus on what is going wrong in our lives, we’re just opening the door for more things to go wrong. However, if we turn it around and look for the positives, we will attract more positive things to come.
We Should All Be Grateful
Everyone has things to be grateful for this year, so let’s start with that. There’s no need to wait for the new year to turn our mindset around and be grateful. “Grateful” is the keyword because if you’re reading this, that is just one reason to be grateful. It means you have eyesight, learned how to read, and have a gadget where you can read from, just to name a few. With that said, how will you deal with your new deck of cards in 2021?
