Protected by Angels

by Jacky Newcomb

  ‘Here are just a few. When my mum died I was in pieces; I had nursed her with my sister Ann because she wanted to die at home. I lifted my mum so my sister could change her bedding; she died almost in my arms. She had been “out of it” all day, and as I lay her back down, her eyes opened and she stared excitedly at something in the corner of the room. She then turned and looked at me for a fleeting moment, then she looked back to the corner of the room once more. It was at this point that she died.

  ‘That night I walked my dog in the local park, and as I looked up to the stars I said, “Please, Mum, let me know that you are OK.” Then I had this feeling of rushing through the stars; she was on a journey and had not yet arrived. The next morning I awoke and was putting on a brave face for my kids. I glanced at the TV and could see a news clip about a mass grave in Russia. As my hearing is bad, and more so with the background noise of the kids, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but felt sad looking at the families crying for their lost ones at the side of the grave. It was at this point that I moved into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, and it was then that I heard my mum’s voice clearly saying, “It’s Mum, and I’m OK.”

  ‘I moved quickly back into the lounge to see if the kids had changed TV channels (they hadn’t). This was one of many messages that I have received from my mum; I have spoken with her in dreams, heard special songs on the radio, etc.

  ‘Going back to Judy, I’d nicknamed her mum “Mrs B” many years ago. Not long after her death I had one of those dreams, you know, these types of dreams. In the dream I opened a door and walked down some steps that led to what looked like an empty room, apart from some old style hospital ward curtains. I looked to the bottom of the curtains and could see some legs that were covered by an old type hospital auxiliary uniform; it was a checked yellow mustard colour.

  ‘I knew straight away that it was Mrs B, and called to her, “Mrs B!” Then the curtain opened and there was Mrs B, smiling at me. “Hi, Ant,” she said. I asked her, “Are you OK?” She assured me she was, and she was smiling. “Can I touch you?” I asked, and she told me I could. I held her hands and moved closer to her, then without asking I flung my arms around her to give her a hug, and leaned forward to give her a kiss on her cheek, but she fell backwards and I fell forwards into a type of cloudy mist. I could see a small face (like these alien faces people see), but this was small. I sprang backwards and there was Mrs B again. “You’re not meant to do that, Ant!” she admonished me, and I apologized but she said it was OK and not to worry about it. That’s as much as I can remember.

  ‘Your book is so true in every way; like you say in your book, ask them to come and make sure the setting is right. I did this and invited Mrs B, even though I couldn’t see her I knew she was there, so I told her about Judy and asked if she could give her some signs.

  ‘Just before the end of the holiday, Judy told me that Ruth had lost a small ankle bracelet and hat. Judy was sad about this and she went on to say so. For some reason I opened some magazines in Judy’s hotel room and out popped the ankle bracelet, and the next day the hat reappeared there as well. I told Judy I believed it was a message from her mum, and that for some reason she was unable to make dream contact at the moment. Ruth’s hat and ankle bracelet were last seen in our room, so how do you think they got to Judy’s room (which was at the other side of the hotel)?’ – ANTHONY

  In my books I suggest asking deceased loved ones to visit in dreams – or at least to try, and if they are unable to reach us, to visit other family members in dream visitations (with permission) instead! I’ve found that it helps if you speak to a photograph of the deceased (preferably one with a happy memory) or, failing this, hold an item that belonged to them while you think about them. Some people manage perfectly well by conjuring up the face of the deceased and speaking to that vision in their mind. You could also write the deceased loved one a letter of invitation, requesting a visit. Good luck.

  A Fond Farewell

  ‘My story starts in September 1990. It was the evening before I started university and I was working my last shift in a local pub, in a little village about eight miles from Chester. I remember the pub for many reasons, but this night more than any other.

  ‘I’d been working in the pub since the age of 13. I started in the kitchen and then later waited on tables. Once I reached 18 I began working behind the bar. It was a great way for me to earn money to keep my pony! Mum and Dad bought him for me on the condition that I’d work to pay for him. He was my birthday present and, although they were prepared to pay for his stabling and grazing, they said I had to pay for his upkeep. It was a great lesson for me, because it taught me the true value of things… and, boy, did I value that pony! Working in the pub was also a fantastic experience. It taught me a lot about life and I met some lovely people.

  ‘One of those people was Andy. Andy was a pub regular and we got to know each other quite well. He was a really lovely and genuine bloke… a bit rough round the edges on first meeting, but a great energy and incredibly polite. He walked me home from the pub on a few occasions when we’d had a lock-in, even though I lived five miles from the pub and he lived another three miles from me! He would never accept a lift home from my dad, as he didn’t want to inconvenience him! He was always laughing and joking. He loved to enjoy life, going out on his bike, socializing with his friends, clubbing, playing pool, drinking… a little bit too much at times! There was more than one occasion when it came to locking-up time and Andy seemed to have gone, only to be found asleep under the pool table! He loved the group Queen. If I got any hassle off pub patrons, locals or passers-through, he would come to my defence.

  ‘He was average height… about 5 foot 10, medium build, with short, dark hair and a round (but not chubby) face. Eyes that sparkled with humour and mischief, and a mouth that always seemed to be smiling! He was a very good-looking bloke! He was a person who enjoyed tinkering with his bikes… he was in to mechanics. He had a great sense of humour and a joy for living.

  ‘Andy had just bought a new motorbike and on this particular night he offered to take another friend out for a spin. Andy lent his helmet to his friend and borrowed a helmet from another regular, Michael. Unbeknownst to us at the time, this helmet had a hairline fracture in it.

  ‘The guys went out for the ride and then a couple of hours later Andy’s friend staggered back into the bar. He seemed disorientated and when we asked him where Andy was, he looked confused and said, “I don’t know.”

  ‘Because we were all worried, one of the regulars decided to go out in his car to look for Andy, but a short while later he phoned from the local accident and emergency unit to say there had been an accident… Andy was dead! As you can, imagine we were all in shock! I was in the middle of pulling a pint and I just dropped the whole thing on the floor!

  ‘I found his passing very hard to accept; he was only 20 years old and at this point I didn’t really believe in life after death. How could someone so young and full of life suddenly be nothing and cease to exist?

  ‘Well, after that, to say I went off the rails is an understatement! I adopted the attitude, “I could be dead tomorrow,” and although I didn’t really believe in life after death, I coped by writing Andy letters and then burning them. When I say I went off the rails, I drank far too much. I spent most of my time drunk and I didn’t care what people thought about me. I couldn’t keep up with my workload at university and, consequently, I failed my first year. I was in a real mess. Andy’s death had shaken me up so much I was really struggling to cope.

  ‘Anyway, a few months later I was in bed asleep. I’d gone to bed slightly earlier than usual and it was then that I had a dream about Andy. It was so vivid that when I woke up the next morning I could have sworn it had actually happened! I was in the pub, in the lounge area as a customer, but as I used to work at the pub I thought I’d pop into the kitchen to say “Hi.” I dreamed I walked into the kitchen, only it looked slightly different from how it had in real life.
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br />   ‘As I walked into the kitchen I was aware of how quiet and empty it was, and there were lots of shadows. When I looked towards the opposite wall, that whole area brightened and I saw Andy sitting up on the window ledge. He was higher than me so I had to look up to see him, and I can remember feeling confused because he shouldn’t have been there! Andy had died, so how could he be in the kitchen? I actually said this to him and he replied that yes, he had passed, but he had also come to chat with me to let me know he was OK, that he didn’t suffer as his passing had been pretty much instantaneous. He told me he was happy where he was and had accepted what had happened and he was also at peace. Andy said I had to stop beating myself up about his death and to begin living my life again. This was a real conversation!

  ‘Andy was aware of my sadness, anger and inability to accept what had happened to him. He told me I wasn’t to blame for his stupidity! He’d made a bad decision by overshooting the junction and he’d paid for it! He asked me to let him go and to start living my life and enjoying myself. He told me that he would always be around, and suggested I remember the good times.

  ‘We then spent a while talking about other things, which I can’t recall now, but when I woke up the next morning I felt happier, lighter and more positive. I knew that what had happened wasn’t an ordinary dream. In fact, when I woke up I half-expected to be in the kitchen still talking to him because it was so real! It took me a few moments to remember that he’d died.

  ‘I think Andy came to me that night because although we weren’t “best friends”, we did have a very close connection. We hit it off right from the first meeting. We had a lot in common and just “clicked”. I was very fond of him. I think he knew in some way that his death had affected me badly, and he seemed keen to help me through it.

  ‘I still think of him often, but now it’s with happy memories rather than regretful, angry ones, and I don’t occupy my thoughts with him every day. I know this was a real visitation experience from his soul rather than a regular dream, and I treasure it even now, many years later.

  ‘Since Andy’s passing I believe that life goes on beyond this plane of existence. I believe that we are constantly evolving and learning as a soul. Life is like a play, each decade a scene, and each lifetime an act. The bit in-between is when we return to the consciousness, this is our interval, our time to reflect and allow the other actors their time to shine.

  ‘Andy’s visit gave me enormous peace of mind and helped me to move on. It let me realize that there is more than just this plane of existence, and that in some form he lives on. My initial problem had been that it just felt so unfair that he’d died so young when he was so full of life. I found it hard to accept that all of a sudden in the blink of an eye that energy and effervescence could cease to exist. His visit made me realize that it didn’t cease; his energy and effervescence still exist, just on another plane. Just because I can’t physically see him, it doesn’t mean he isn’t around. It was definitely a real visit! Even then I knew it wasn’t a “normal” dream. It was too vivid and real. Illogical but totally logical all at the same time!

  ‘Strangely enough, a couple of weeks ago I started to think of Andy again, and the alarm on my partner’s car started going off at night for no reason! My partner is a psychic and is starting a tour with two other psychic mediums, and one of these mediums picked up a message for me from Andy. He’d come to say hi and let me know how fond of me he still is. My partner asked if Andy was the one setting off the car alarm and, if so, could he please stop! Guess what? Since that day the car alarm hasn’t gone off once! Typical Andy, always the joker!

  ‘I honestly don’t know why he has come to mind again! I do periodically think of him, and always with fondness. Perhaps it’s because I am in a new relationship after a long and bitter divorce four years ago. I’m engaged, expecting my first baby and incredibly happy! I am doing really well with my work. I work three days a week for the NHS as a podiatrist, and three days for myself, doing the podiatry, reflexology, Indian head and face massage and other therapies.

  ‘I definitely believe in angels! I believe we all have at least one guardian angel, an angel who is only ever a thought away. I also believe we are all ONE. We are here to learn certain lessons that we have chosen before incarnating into this life. I believe that everyone we meet in life has a part to play in teaching us those lessons, even the people who treat us unfairly or aggressively. There are no chance meetings or events. Of course we have free will, but we all end up exactly where we are meant to be, when we are meant to be there.

  ‘I believe that when we pass over it is not the end, rather an interim before a new beginning. A time for us to reflect on our journey, the lessons learned, the new questions posed. A time to heal any hurts suffered and to thank those who inflicted those hurts upon us for the lessons they taught and the strength it gave us. I think that rather than mourning a passing we should celebrate it! Give thanks for the life that was, the memories that live on and the knowledge that our loved one has been reconnected to the biggest source of unconditional love we will ever know!

  ‘And Andy? His death taught me to live each day to the full because we never know what’s round the corner. To appreciate every experience we have, good or bad. To look at things as if through the eyes of a child and never to take anyone or anything for granted. His visit primarily opened me up to spirit and let me know that life does go on. This in turn gives me hope for the future of the planet. It has given me curiosity to find out more about spirit, angels and to discover a more holistic way of life. It nurtured my inner sense of being a free spirit, and allowed me to follow my heart and be who I am meant to be.

  ‘Along the way I got a bit lost for a while, but even out of that I have learned so much and come back much stronger than before! I think the visitation experience helped me enormously at the time, because it enabled me to move on, free from guilt, regret and anger. It helped get me back on track with my studies so I could complete my course.

  ‘Every event has a domino effect. My work has opened up a lot of doors for me, given me opportunities I may otherwise not have had. It’s introduced me to people I would not have met and contributed to making me who I am today. That in turn is shaping who I am yet to become! I think part of this domino effect is that now, looking back on my life thus far, I can honestly say there isn’t a single thing I would change. Not even the darkest times! Could I say this if the experience with Andy had never happened? Probably not – he has contributed to everything. Every day I count my blessings and give thanks for everything I have and everything that is yet to come.’ – HELEN

  This next story came in an e-mail.

  Signs from a Beloved Friend

  ‘I have been reading your books for almost two years now. Once I start reading them I just can’t seem to put them down. Your books have given me great inspiration and helped me with the sudden death of a dear friend. I would like to share my angel experiences with you.

  ‘One of my dearest friends was killed tragically in a horrific car accident almost three years ago. He was 25 years of age and was driving along the motorway when the car lost control and span off the road. The passenger in the car, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown through the front windscreen, but my friend, who was driving and had his seatbelt on, was trapped in the car as it caught fire. This was a terrible shock and I had to come to terms with losing one of my closest friends whom I either saw or spoke to every day.

  ‘Just two weeks prior to the accident I had such a vivid dream that I told my parents about it. I dreamed that someone had set my car on fire in a petrol station and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The following week, just days before my friend’s accident, I had another dream where I was driving my car down a road and the car span out into mid-air. I managed to jump out unhurt and the car span through the air, landing in a field opposite. I did not relate any of this to my friend’s accident until my dad reminded me of the dreams I had shared with them.

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bsp; ‘For several months following my friend’s death I went to various psychic mediums, searching for confirmation that he was in heaven and was not suffering or in any pain. Almost every medium informed me that my friend was safe on the other side and was in no pain; they all said he wanted to tell me that he loved me, was with me and that he did not suffer in the accident as he had died on impact. This was very hard, as I missed him so much, but I was so glad that he had reached the other side, was no longer suffering and did not suffer in the accident.

  ‘Since then I came across your angel books and have continued to read them regularly. They have given me great inspiration and have really helped me cope with my friend’s death.

  ‘Reading your books and learning of real-life angel experiences has made me recognize signs from the angels and my friend. On the first anniversary of his death I was working the nightshift (in a hospital ward). At midnight my colleague plugged in the computer and on doing this the radio, which was NOT plugged in at the time, came on playing The Beatles’ song, “All You Need Is Love.” I then read a phrase from this song in one of your books and hoped it was a sign that it was my friend there that night. Several other things happened the same night, like my phone ringing twice then cutting off but there being no missed calls listed on my phone and no name or number coming up while it was ringing, pieces of equipment moving across the room, etc., which as you can imagine terrified my colleagues as they were sceptics.

  ‘On the second anniversary of my beloved friend’s death, I was working the dayshift in the hospital. The nurse buzzer system, which is not required for the category of patients in the unit I was working in, started going off. The other staff in the unit could not understand how this was happening, as the buzzers were never used and the buttons were in a place on the wall where no one could have pressed them. The electricians were called out by the ward manager; they checked the system and looked at her strangely, stating that the buzzers had not been touched and the system was working perfectly. This happened intermittently throughout my shift and it made me smile inside, knowing my dear friend was with me.