The Living Years

Do you believe in the ability to communicate with others on the other side? You know what I mean – hearing from those that have died on this earth plane. I have wondered about it for years. I never had any definitive experiences but I have continued being curious about it.

While still at work on Friday, February 27, 2009 about 6:13PM I was taking notes on a paper report when I noticed the fluorescent lamp above my desktop was flickering. I stopped working as I was aware of the strobe effect, almost being annoyed for the interruption. Something inside told me that someone was trying to get my attention and to take note. Nothing was obvious so I brushed off the notion and continued working. About one minute later the lamp started flickering again. I stopped again and felt there was something significant about these flashes and to take notice. I paused to reflect inward for a few seconds. Then, I realized that my iPod was playing a song over its speakers. This was no ordinary song. It’s a song titled The Living Years by Mike & The Mechanics. My interpretation of the song is that it’s a story about a son having regrets about his relationship with his deceased father. For some reason, my mother came to mind since she is deceased and is a parent figure. I felt she was the one wanting to communicate with me. It was quite interesting to think that perhaps she was dedicating a song to me from the other side.
Finding the coincident of the events quite novel I decided to call one of my friends. The first friend wasn’t home but I was still intrigued by the situation so I called a second friend. This is a friend that I’ve known since high school and she knew my mother. While the phone call to my friend was still ringing, the lamp started flashing again. Again, I felt it was my mother and this time she wanted me to tell Rosie hello. When Rosie answered I shared the story of what was going on that night and that additionally the lamp started flashing as if my mother wanted me to tell her hello. She too was fascinated. Rosie said that she has been thinking about my mother and even saw a woman that looked like my mother very recently. We delved into all the interesting facts about what was happening, feeling as if this was very real.

I continued working on my reporting project for another hour until around 7:30PM until I was ready to leave. As I packed up my things, I remembered the night’s unusual events and came to realize that the lamp had not flickered once since my phone call with Rosie. For me, this awareness continued to solidify the thought that what I experienced was real indeed.

On Saturday, still excited about the unusualness of what happened I called another friend to discuss the sequence of events and how interesting it was and how real it felt that my mother was communicating with me. As we discussed, I shared that my mother has been gone 5 years now and that in fact I thought today, February 28, was the anniversary of her death. Since I wasn’t sure I referenced a picture of my mother’s headstone that my brother took last year. As I looked at the picture, the death date etched in stone was clearly February 27, 2004. Knowing that yesterday’s event also occurred on February 27th chills went through both of us on the phone.

I’ve learned from a great teacher; words do not teach, experience does. This is my experience that I am choosing to believe.

The lyrics to The Living Years are posted below. Also, you can hear the song available on YouTube by clicking on the link below.

The Living Years by Mike & the Mechanics

Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door

I know that I’m a prisoner
To all my father held so dear
I know that I’m a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I’m afraid that’s all we’ve got

You say you just don’t see it
He says its perfect sense
You just can’t get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defense

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It’s the bitterness that lasts

So don’t yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don’t give up, and don’t give in
You may just be o.k.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye

I wasn’t there that morning
When my father passed away
I didn’t get to tell him
All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I’m sure I heard his echo
In my baby’s new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye