Grandma Jayne: A Reflection on Love and Connection

On my Grandma Jayne’s earthly birthday, I’m sharing a story about connection and the lasting power of love.

A Force of Nature

Growing up, my grandmother was a force—a bold, progressive, firecracker of a woman who shaped me in more ways than I can count. She wasn’t the kind of grandmother who let you win at cards or sugarcoated the truth. If you lost at blackjack, well, tough luck—she’d slap your hand and move on. She was unapologetically herself, unafraid to speak her mind and lived a life full of adventure and generosity.

It made me chuckle remembering that my Grandma Jayne had a plaque in her kitchen that read, “I’m subject to bursts of enthusiasm.” (I may be making myself a new sign!) She embodied this motto with her great love of life and her appreciation for diversity in ideas, people, and cultures.

She was also gracious, humble, and had a deep-seated love for people and causes, including her own Native American heritage (Lenni-Lenape), always wearing native turquoise and beaded jewelry, and of course her moccasins. I have a few pieces in particular that fill me with her energy and love.

Her influence certainly didn’t end though with her passing. If anything, it grew stronger.

The Moment I Knew

I can still vividly recall the day my grandmother passed. She had been sick for many months, but there was no reason to believe it was imminent. I was a junior at Tulane University, and I was just living my college life. And then one morning, sitting in an accounting class in one of those horseshoe-shaped lecture halls, I had a profound experience, one I will never forget.

During class, I had a quick day dream. In it, my little red phone lit up, showing a call from “GJayne and Popo”—the name I had saved for my grandparents.

In this moment, I excused myself from the class, walked across the horseshoe and answered the call in the hallway. My grandfather was calling to let me know that Grandma Jayne had passed away. Still in my daydream, I was crying looking through the glass of the door trying to get my friend’s attention.

It was a crystal clear and powerful daydream. It startled me, so I looked at the clock: 12:35 PM. This was a trick my dad taught me when I was a little girl when I would have nightmares. He told me that if I look at a clock in a dream, look away, and then look back at it, I’ll know if I’m dreaming or awake.

I did this every now and again in my dreams and when I’d have odd moments and I’d “capture the time” in case it was relevant. Another dad trick!

All of this happened in a matter of seconds. I snapped out of it, and sat through the rest of class.

When class ended, the moment I stepped into the hallway, my phone rang. It was my dad. Before he could speak, I knew, and immediately said, “Grandma Jayne died didn’t she? At 12:35.” He was silent and stuttered to find his words. He said, “Uhh, yes. About 10 minutes ago.” It was 12:45 PM.

I knew.

That moment truly changed my life. It was my first vivid, and what I now call a divine experience.

What Is Real, Anyway?

Over the years, I shared this story sparingly, unsure of how it might be received. Would people roll their eyes? Chalk it up to imagination? Coincidence? Maybe. And I know that it doesn’t matter what others think. What matters is what I felt. And what I felt was real. It was love. It was energy. It was a reminder that we are more connected than we can comprehend.

This wasn’t the only moment like this. I’ve had countless other divine experiences since—moments with my friend Will Langley, my dad, my grandfather. Their presences have manifested in ways that defy logic but bring me profound comfort and peace. These experiences aren’t frightening or strange; they’re grounding, beautiful, and filled with love.

The Telepathy Tapes and Expanding Awareness

Recently, I came across the Telepathy Tapes podcast that explores non-speaking autistics experiences, including telepathy, communicating in lucid dream states, and experiences with others in what seems like a different spiritual plane. Yes, I know there are skeptics. You may be one of them, and that’s okay.

Listening to it confirmed for me what I’ve always intuitively known but struggled to articulate: consciousness, energy, and love don’t just end. They transform, continuing to shape the lives of those they’ve touched.

I’ve spent the past many years exploring and embracing spirituality for myself (a few books from my path are shared here), which has freed me to live unapologetically and authentically.

This podcast to me was just another sign of what is real, with the potential to be another 1% towards unlocking a new level of understanding for humanity. It reminded me to stay open—to intuition, to the unknown, to the whispers of love that transcend what we think we know.

When a loved one comes to you in a dream or you feel their voice in your thoughts, don’t dismiss it. Lean in. Accept it as real, and let it fill your soul.

What Love Teaches Us

Grandma Jayne’s story is about more than her passing. It’s a reminder of the profound connections that bind us across time, space, and even dimensions we can’t yet comprehend. Love is real. It transcends logic and defies explanation, yet it grounds us in something unshakable.

We are just tiny specks in a vast and incomprehensible universe, but even in our smallness, we hold the immense capacity to love and be loved.

Be Open

On this day, I felt called to honor my grandmother not only by bravely sharing this personal story but also by encouraging you to be open. Trust your experiences, your intuition, and your connection to the divine. Let these moments—however fleeting or inexplicable—live in your heart, bringing you joy, peace, and love.

Life is mysterious, vast, and full of things we cannot fully understand.

Thank you, Grandma Jayne, for the light, love, and awareness you brought into my life, as a little girl and even now. I am forever and always grateful.

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