I often find myself wondering, what is our purpose in life? Why are we here and where do we go when we die? Why was I born a twin? Why do things happen at certain times or at just the right time?

While getting ready for work one morning, I heard fast knocking on the front door. It was my sister René. I barely opened the door and she rushed in, so excited she could hardly contain herself.

“You won’t believe this picture I brought over to show you.”

She opened the envelope in her hand. Inside was a picture of our sister Dannie. René had found three rolls of film. They had been sitting around for a couple of years and she didn’t know what was on them so she dropped them off to be developed. She asked me, “Do you know what today is?”

“Yes, I do. It is August 14th. Dannie’s fatal accident happened exactly three years ago. That was the day we had the total blackout.”

The picture she handed to me was a photo of Dannie. As I looked at the picture, I saw a wispy vision of her walking through the upstairs hallway. She was on her way to her bedroom. René didn’t remember taking the picture! Dannie is framed in the doorway and on either side appear to be emanations of light, one is circular and the other is oval. The rest of the pictures from that roll were sharp and clear except for this one.

Click the picture to enlarge

René then showed me the envelope it came in. The name of the person who developed the roll was Danielle. That was Dannie’s given name. We both got chills.

Then René reflected on how, after Dannie’s passing, she wanted a puppy to help comfort her. She searched and searched, going to shelters, scouring the ads in newspapers for anyone who was selling just the right puppy. She seemed obsessed with her search. Finally she found one in the paper. The price was too much but she knew she just had to have this little black poodle. He was the one! He was only 12 weeks old when she brought him home.

A week later, I went over to see the little guy. He couldn’t even jump up on the couch because he was so little. He was like a tiny stuffed animal and sooo cute and adorable. I picked him up and hugged him. René still hadn’t picked a name for him... nothing seemed right. I asked when he was born.

“August 14th.”

We both realized in that moment the significance of this cute little puppy. That was the day the blackout happened and the day of the tragedy.

“Let’s call him ‘Dannie Dawg’ I said. That was a fun name we called Dannie and she loved it. ´René suggested, “Let’s call him DD for short.” That felt right.

DD is now three-years-old. I suggested that we should have a birthday party for DD. René agreed. She even made a cake for DD with three candles on it. We all brought presents and sang Happy Birthday to DD and reminisced about Dannie.

I marvel at the synchronicity of it all. René being inspired to take the film in right then, the mystical picture being on the roll, being developed by Danielle and DD being born on that day.

I think the picture of Dannie was a gift and definitely a sign that she is still with us. It’s comforting to know that she’s around. The non-physical lumination was captured on film at just the right time and developed in divine timing. Everything was and is in divine order.

In Home with God, Neale Donald Walsh writes, “If you so much as hope that someone will come to help you, you will be surrounded by loved ones and angels.”

We are family

I got all my sisters with me

We are family

Gerri Magee is director of advertising and public relations and assistant to the editor of phenomeNEWS. She continues to share her thoughts “On The Path” in this column. You can write her at gerri@phenomenews.com.