Do Dead People Walk Their Dogs? (22 page)

It is vital
that we realize we are a spirit in a bodily wrapping. When we connect to our spirit, we connect to our true self. If we stay focused only on our human mind and our emotions, we run the risk of being trapped in a shifting and insecure personality. A wise person once said, “When we are born, we are embodied spirits. What we are to do with our lives is to become spiritualized bodies.”

I hope that
this work helps to clear away the illusions and confusion people have about what life really is like and what our human experience is meant for. If we choose to remain in the belief system that being human is only about “Earth,” this place where we live in our embodied form, and other things we can touch or see, we’ll remain stuck in fear. We’ll have so many fears and problems and unanswered questions, and we’ll try to solve our problems with means that do not look first to love (God) and that only add more karma to our spirits. Evil, harm, injustice, atrocities—all are “Satan,” or whatever you want to call it (in the Jewish tradition “Satan” means “the adversary,” whatever works against good). All these things exist in this world. The way to dismantle these negative systems is for more and more people to stay strong and live in the principles of truth and love. By opening the door from this side to the Other Side, we have access to God’s world and His reasons for this world. I want people to know that nothing is final about death. I want people to be com-forted and reassured and live a fuller life by knowing that even at the “end” of that life, nothing ends.

Indeed they are!
Because we are in the subconscious state, they can have a nice conversation with us without our being freaked out. When we are awake we tend to hold very tightly to our construct of what is normal and possible—which is an incredibly limited view compared to what the true reality is: to what truly not only is
possible
, but just
is
. When we are in this nice relaxed state, we allow the true reality of our oneness with spirit to just be, and spirits will use this opportunity to connect with us.

That’s an easy
one: what you ask for you shall receive. I love this story—it’s been told in many different ways and to a lot of my readers I know it’ll be very familiar, but here goes: Mr. Manicotti had lived a good life and was reasonably satisfied at the end of it. He hadn’t been rich, but he’d always had “enough”; he’d had good friends, a loving wife and kids. All in all, not bad. When he died, not surprisingly, he ended up in Heaven where he met Saint Peter at the gates, just as he’d expected. Even though it’s what he expected, he’s thrilled. Heaven is all he thought it would be. So now Saint Peter is giving him the tour and here and there he’s seeing old friends and family he hasn’t seen in years, and he is being greeted by his old well-loved and remembered pets. Heaven is a terrific place and there’s a lot to explore. Up ahead, Mr. Manicotti sees a beautiful white building and he tells Saint Peter he’d like to go see it, but Saint Peter says, “No.” This is surprising—he hasn’t expected to be denied anything in Heaven. He asks Saint Peter why this building is off-limits, but Saint Peter just tries to steer him in another direction. Needless to say, this makes him more than curious. He says, “Please. I’d really like to see what’s in that building.” So, reluctantly, Saint Peter takes him over to the building and they go inside. There Mr. Manicotti sees rows and rows of shelves, filled to the brim with glittering boxes, each marked with the name of a soul. He runs over to the shelves and searches to find his own name, and sure enough he discovers a hefty box, gorgeously wrapped, that is clearly intended for him. As he’s reaching for it, however, Saint Peter says, “Don’t open it. If you look inside it’ll only make you weep.” “Why on earth?!” asks Mr. Manicotti. “Because,” says Saint Peter, “in that box are all the blessings and gifts that God had prepared for you, if you had only asked.”

The moral of the story is: Think Big, Dream Big,
ASK
Big. God wants us to be as big as He is. That’s what it means to be made in God’s image. We will never be as big as God, but so long as we don’t dream big and ask big we will always be smaller than we can be. Never be afraid to ask for blessings—both in your prayers and in your daily words and actions. There is more than enough of everything to go around. God’s blessings are infinite and eternal.

John Bertoldi, aka Johnny Fontaine, Juanito, and so many other names I cannot mention: My beautiful husband, you have been an enormous support and comfort to me for twenty-five years. Our life together has been anything but boring! Because of you I have enjoyed true love. Thank you, Jaunito. I will love you for many lifetimes.

Eleanor Ferrell, my mother: My heart is full of admiration for you and all you survived in your early childhood. Thank you for being a wonderful mother and making unselfish choices. I completely love you.

Cornelia DiNunzio, aka Mushy: I still remember that little girl I met more than forty years ago. We have spent a lifetime going through so much joy and sorrow. I cannot imagine my life without you in it, you have given so much of yourself to me. A sister you are and always will be to me. I love you.

Robert Ferrell: My brother, my sweet handsome brother. I have always found you to be kind and compassionate. You always believed in me and said I could do this. Thank you for seeing that. Harold would be so proud of the life you made for yourself, as I am. I love you so very much.

Choi Eng: My sister-in-law, you are a fantastic contribution to our family. Thank you for everything you have done for our family. God loves you, and so do I.

Elena Oswald, aka my sweet Elen baby: You don’t have a mean bone in your body. How lucky I am to have you in my life and family. You have kept me calm and cool with you at the wheel. I treasure our relationship. I love you.

Madeline Krawse: My dear friend, I thank you and Steve for so many kinds words and laughs we’ve shared on Friday nights over dinner. Getting away to the lake and swimming with ducks, all the generous things you say and do. It was a great day that you came into my life. I love you both very much.

Stephany Evans, aka Tex: My dear friend and agent, I remember the day I met you in 2003, that cold day in New York at the Gersh Agency. It was my lucky day. I still remember your laugh, which I still enjoy today. I love you with all my heart. I will thank you forever for seeing something in me.

Ginger Grancagnolo, aka GG or Gingerbread: I have borrowed so many of your words and thoughts. I admire your strength and heartfelt passion. I never get tired of your stories or your insights into the Other Side. I love and adore you—the little girl in you and the little girl in me are best friends. Forever.

Rachele Barone: My sweet Italian friend, it is a comfort to know you care about me. I thank you for bringing me food when I was not feeling well and for all the extras at dinner. The very sound of your voice makes me feel at home. I love you.

Jessica Bertoldi (Franchina): My adopted daughter, we have come such a long way. I will always have the image in my head of a little girl in a ponytail, so full of life, eleven going on thirty. I am proud of you. I treasure our relationship. Thank you for calling me Mom. I love you.

Johnny Bertoldi Jr.: You have grown into such a beautiful man. I appreciate all of your Mother’s Day cards. If I had had a son, I would have wanted him to be you. I love you, sweetie.

Darlene Bertoldi: Having met you twenty-five years ago, we have seen a lot together. Here you are all grown-up with children of your own. I am proud of you and the wonderful job you do as a mom. I thank you for the many times you have listened and given comfort to me. I love you.

Lorenzo Franchina: My son-in-law, some people come into your life late and feel like they have been there forever. Thank you for writing that beautiful poem about me. The only other person who ever wrote a poem about me was my father—you are in good company. You will never know what that meant to me. I love you.

Jennifer Pooley: My senior editor at HarperCollins, with vision! We have become very close and shared our lives; for this I am grateful. Thank you for believing in me. I wish only the very best life has to offer for you, always. I love you.

Audrey Harris: My senior publicist at HarperCollins, you have always had my best interests at heart from the start. Thank you for all the dates and times you have arranged—a job well done! You have had patience and shown kindness—both meant a lot to me. I love you.

Glenn Davish: You have done so much for me, and I cannot believe how lucky I am. I thank you for all the wonderful times we have shared together. I look forward to the future and the adventures we have to go on. I love you.

Tim Ousey: Thank you for the refrigerator full of my favorite things and the bowl full of candy—you think of everything! Glenn is lucky to have you in his life. I am lucky to have you both. I love you.

Jon Cornick: You will always mean the world to me. I love you.

Sarah Self: With your interest and introductions, you set off an amazing chain of events in my life. Thank you—I’ll never forget you! I love you.

Alexander, Julia, Isabella, and Carmine, my grandchildren, so sweet and full of love: I adore each of you and thank God for sending each of you to our family!

Bobbie Concetta, my adorable, fun-loving niece: I know that Daddy and Harold and Grandma Bacon are watching over you from there as we are watching over you from here. I love you so very much, and I always will.

Gianna, Julia, Nicolas, Shane—all the many children I have been so lucky to have call me Aunt Con: I love you all and wish for God to protect you and make all your dreams come true. I love you all very much.

To my publisher Carrie Kania and to Michael Morrison, thank you always for saying yes. And to my team at HarperCollins: Cal Morgan, Jennifer Civiletto, Hope Innelli, Nicole Reardon, Jennifer Hart, Alberto Rojas, Carolyn Bodkin, Samantha Hagerbaumer, Dori Carlson, Justin Dodd, and Melissa Bobotek, thank you always for your hard work and for introducing my books to the world. I love you all.

To my many clients who have shared their lives and families and stories with me, I am eternally grateful and will be so forever. Thank you for believing me and caring about me. I will promise to always care about all of you. With my love.

Cover photographs by Tracy Morgan/Getty Images; Mark Segal/Getty Images; Peter Cade/Getty Images