Music by The Refusers

Monday, September 5, 2011

Dedicated To Great Grandfather Giovanni


Mary In The Clouds

It is sometimes strange how events from one's past reveal themselves from behind the veil of memory from time to time and at the most unexpected moments to remind us of where and when our current talents or abilities were shaped and forged by the encounters with those we have joined with in this life as friends, family, lovers, neighbors, classmates, work comrades, or those very special ones we call enemies who mange to capture much of our thoughts, emotion and attention.

There was an event that occured while at one of the large family gatherings that were not uncommon at the home of my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather's home.  They immigrated to the United States from a small town on the sea not so far from Palermo, Sicily in the later part of the nineteenth century.  Great Grandfather Giovanni was a bit of an odd ball.  A very gentle and quiet man who was also a devote Catholic and stood on his head appearing to me as a yogi from India.  He loved his gardening, wine making in the cellar and rolling his own cigars from whole tobacco leaves.

The time setting was in the early 60s.  I must have been around 6 years of age.  He called me Mikey and asked me to join him that evening outside the house on a hot summer night as a line of thunder clouds approached from the west.  Once outside, he said to me that I must help him to protect the home and the family from the storm. He looked at me very seriously and said that I could do this and that he would teach me to protect the family so that I could do this after he was gone from this world.  If my memory serves me, he did pass away within a fews months after that evening.  I have always had a sense that he had known his time on Earth was soon over and perhaps this moment in time was a gift that he gave to me that would one day be a comfort when those stormy times in our life approach.

I remember following him around the house on the city walkway being a curious child and always open to the learning of new things.  It was a corner city lot so we walked the length of two sides of the house.  He showed me how to make the sign of the cross in the air in the direction of the storm approaching to cut the storm and said that I was to invoke the name of the Holy Virgin Mother Mary and he gave me some words that I have since forgotten.  He said that the home and the family within would never be in danger if I were to do as he had just shown me.

I in truth have never done this during a thunderstorm since I have always been fearless in storms and have always had the firm belief that no harm would ever come to me or to those that I love.

Later in life as my healing abilities awakened and began to blossom, I have often invoked the name of Jesus or the Holy Mother, who I call, Virgin Mary, Mother of Light for those whom I know have a religious background or are firmly rooted in the Christain Faith.  Whenever done, I have often later heard stories of the person in need of healing being visited by beautiful Light Beings or a beautiful woman in white who would touch them and leave them with a great sense of calm and well being. 

I find it strange that this memory would be popping up in my waking consciouness lately and pressing on me to write about and to share the memory of this time and this person who was dear to me with others.  I have been a bit hesitant to write of something so personal and about Great Grandfather who often spoke Italian in the home and broken English to this grandchildren and great grandchildren.  My intuition has more often than not served me well so I have shared this with you the readers for whatever reason that may be and so be it.

Now, I have done the deed and dedicate this blog entry to the memory of Grand Grandfather Giovanni.  I believe that he was a sensitive, knowing man and saw the potential in me to do good acts.  As I reflect upon this event, I see him as a long line of mentors who have supported and guided me, helping me to develop talents and abilities that I would need in my future to do the tasks that I came to this Earth to do so that one day I would come into my own and hopefully be a blessing onto this world.  As I reflect upon my life, I see a series of encounters with some very remarkable people, each with a lesson to teach, each with knowledge to share. 

So, dear readers take what you will from my narration and perhaps you too have learned something of yourself and others through the sharing of my strongest memory of my dear Great Grandfather Giovanni.  A simple man of faith with a story to tell and knowledge to share, told and shared fifty years later, by his Great Grandson, Mikey.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this Mike,

Brings back memories for me too from my earlier life and how I was prepped for this 'Journey' some of us have been on for most of our lives - not always recognised in those earlier years but looking back -------------- Hhhmmm one sees the dots being connected, and the guidance quietly nudging us, knowing some how that we didn't quite fit into the world we were born into. My French aunt and my mother both independently, one when I was 13 and the other when I was 16.

Thanks again Mike.

Memories memories,
Michael B.

Magnus said...

Hello!

...and thanks for sharing. I reflect on your last words in this post and find myself life kind of interesting with its events and happenings (which might see "negative" but the people we get in touch and contact with as a response. It was nice to hear what a wise old man your grand grandfather was, in treating you in that age with such of respect, instead of so many adults today treating small kids as unmatured and unwise, when in fact young children has a lot more to teach us with their creativity, curiosity, openmindedness and fearlessness.

So thanks for sharing it

Have a beautiful day

Jennifer said...

beautiful story, I can almost hear an accent when you write about him.

Stranger in a Strange Land said...

Hello Jennifer:

You would have enjoyed Great Grandfather. He would have showed you his garden, then you would have been offered food and Grand Grandmother was a difficult one, but a great cook. If you were lucky, he would bring up a bootle of his home made wine from the cellar and told you stories from the old country.

Thanks for stopping by,
Mike

Stranger in a Strange Land said...

Hello Magnus:

And thank you for your comment & your thoughtful words.

Have a lovely time at work,
Mike

Pam B said...

A very moving post, Mike--beautiful. Thank you for sharing that moment in time...it made me wish I had known my grandparents, but it was not meant to be. Your great-grandfather sounds like a wonderful man who saw what lived inside his great-grandson. Maybe he helped to make you more comfortable with sharing who you are.
Pam B

Stranger in a Strange Land said...

Hello Pam:

Yes, Great Grandfather being an odd ball recognized the odd ball in me and I thank and bless him for that. It's the odd ones that at least when compared to normal who move Mankind into new directions or perhaps bettyer stated help get their feelows back on course.

Kindest regards,
Mike

Becki Hawkins said...

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful memory!! What a precious grandfather!! I, too, am very careful where I share my dreams, visions, etc. I'm not Catholic but I do love this current Pope!! And I've had visits from Mother Mary and Jesus at my bedside. There are so many all over this precious planet who are "waking up". I don't pretend to have all the answers. But I am in awe and great gratitude and humbleness to receive these things and hold them near and dear to my heart.

Stranger in a Strange Land said...

Hello Becki:

Thanks you for your comment. Yes, there are many awakening souls in our world.

Kind & warm regards,
Mike

Deise Lemos de Almeida said...

Tão belo o que contou. Me faz ter a certeza de que a escolha feita um dia por acompanhar suas postagens estava acertada, mesmo com as dificuldades que o idioma por vezes não contribui o bom ou total entendimento. Nesse momento é preciso confiar na intuição.
Mais uma vez, obrigada Michael.