As a little girl you think your parents will never grow old, be frail or die, because I never believed in death and still don’t. Yes, our bodies die but we live on in spirit.
15th of December would have been my dad’s 74th Birthday. We went out to dinner to celebrate it with him in spirit. There are many ways to keep our loved one’s memories alive, this is one of ours.
My dad was a practicing catholic who help many people in his lifetime, from wanting to be a priest in his younger days. He was a very clever man who loved reading and learning about mind power, owning his own business as a gas fitter, to joining the union as a union organiser helping so many workers. He then retired from that and did taxi driving for a while before becoming St Vincent De Paul's manager at a hostel in Darwin City, to help and council those in need. Then he started his own business which helped people with their mind on a subconscious level.
The day my dad graduated from this lifetime on earth was in March 2011, my world shattered, my heart broke into a million pieces and I did not know if I could survive such a thing. At the time I had 3 of my 4 children and they would be the only thing that kept me going. So, I get how hard grief is. I only had my dad and my children who were my rock. When I lost him I felt like I couldn’t breathe any more.
Flash back a year before his passing and weird things happened. Dad started talking about my childhood we discussed a lot of deep things that happened. But that’s another story. I had started having dreams about my dad sitting at his desk and then having a heart attack and dying. I told my dad, and he would laugh it off. I’d be putting the washing away and I’d drift off into a thought about what flowers I’d have at my dad funeral or what songs I’d chose for him, then I’d realise what the hell am I thinking. But more importantly why was this popping into my head. Our massive glass table shattered in the middle of the night while we were all asleep, it woke us all up so I rang my dad to see if he was ok, he said yes, we are all ok, and then he said huge change is coming if that has happened. I didn’t know what that meant at the time. My dad was very intuitive himself, so I just trusted his words.
The Ex and I had planned a road trip and went on holidays with our kids, which was a drive from the top end of Australia to the bottom of South Australia I would talk to my dad every day on the phone as I was still concerned about his heart and the fact, I was having these feelings and he needed to get it checked but he still insisted he didn’t need it checked out even though I was still having these dreams and visions. On our way back from holidays I got bad reflux, but I knew it did not belong to me as I’d never get that, and I hadn’t eaten anything to cause it. I was picking it up from someone else. Unknown to me at the time it was my dad having pains, weeks leading up to his death. As we drove back home into the Top End I had a moment of deep thought that I needed to not rely so much on my dad anymore as he was starting a new business and I needed to support him more. Little did I know it was my soul letting him go.
He did so much for me, helping me with my business and the kids, and helping with the yard and just pretty much everything. He was at my house every day without fail as we were best friends and he just loved hanging out with the kids. He also was my mum’s carer which I then took on after he passed but that’s another story to come in time.
When we got back from our holiday, dad came over and gave me the biggest hug I’d ever had from him, as I pulled away, he held on tight and said I might not be here one day. I thought mmm that is weird.
One week after we got back, dad came around to pick up some reflux medicine and I said stay for coffee, he said I can’t I have clients, then he came back and quietly said  to me, grief takes 3 years to recover from and off he went, I looked at him and was like hmmm ok, and thought why you are telling me that? It was so random, yet it was like he knew something.
I’d been so tired from our trip and was organising to get back to work that I’d hardly caught up with him. This was me distancing myself without knowing at the time. The 3 kids were sick, and dad had come to visit, but this would be the last time he saw the kids, I told them not to go near grandad as I didn’t want him catching a cold.
Friday night my mum said dads not well he’s put himself to bed and he doesn’t want anyone coming around. My gut said call an ambulance, but I didn’t listen. My dad’s never this sick. Then I thought I need to go around. So, I grabbed my key and something stopped me weirdly I can’t explain. I thought no he will be fine if he says so.
I’d had a text war sort of with him the night before arguing that he needed to go to the doctor, but he was stubborn. Yes I wished I’d done something more, but at the end of the day it was his time.
D-Day. Saturday morning l was in a meeting with one of my wedding clients and the phone rang, my dad rang to asked to be taken to the hospital. My now ex husband took him. The kids and I were going to meet them there. I got another phone call it was the ex-saying the Dr’s said he’s only got a few hours to live. My heart sunk, surely this cannot be.  I could not find my car keys anywhere at all. I was stressed out and not really in a state to drive if I did find my keys. So I called my best friend and she came and picked us up and took me straight to the hospital and she took the kids as I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.
When we got there the Dr’s seemed calm and did not say much to answer my questions, they did say he is fine, then they said they were moving him up to the cardiac ward. I thought oh that’s a good sign he will be fine. My dad said come here I need to tell you something, He said your psychic, I said well that’s no good to us if you didn’t listen to me for all these months.
As we started to head to the cardiac ward dad was in fine spirits chatting to everyone saying this is my daughter, she a success in her business etc, you know proud dad moment LOL.
Then when we got to the room, I was so stressed out I just didn’t have any words.
Then my mum wanted to go and make a phone call and I needed a smoke as I smoked at that time. And dad was having a bit of pain, so the Dr’s came in and we went out to give them some space. We had no idea what was happening. Why did we leave the room to go downstairs will make sense soon.
As we were downstairs, we heard the siren Code Blue, I instantly knew that was for my dad. We raced up stairs, magically and to this day I still don’t know how, we took some path that got us back up there instantly. As we walked in the Doctors were doing CPR on him and I just started praying, praying to everyone one and thing I could think of I felt my dad’s parents come in from the other side I felt their presence so strongly and I begged them not to take him, but I just knew it was his time. The Doctor came out and said we have been going for 45mins, if we bring him back, he will be brain dead. I knew my dad never wanted to live like that, he had told me so many times, so I told them to stop.
Few mins after we went into the room where my dad’s body lay and after a minute of collect myself, I said well if there is anything dad has taught us is that he is no longer in this body. He is not here anymore. We went home, I told the kids who were 18mths, 6 and 9 at the time. Obviously, you can’t sleep, and I just waited for a sign, but there was nothing. Not one single sign from my dad.
The next day for some weird reason I keep needing to go to the bathroom, I was not drinking so not sure whether it was nerves or what. But I found out quickly enough. While I was sitting there something like an energy force pulled through the toilet door and as I looked up there was my dad, in a red shirt pants with my 2 childhood dogs and my cat who were also in spirit form. I instantly covered myself up and thought oh my God is this really happening here on the toilet can they see me, then a strong thought came in my mind that was not mine at all, it was my dad, he said to me, we only see spirit to spirit so don’t worry. So I relaxed then he said your will be fine, your mum will be fine as she is strong, look out for Emily (my eldest), and when you start your business, I will make you bigger better and stronger, I will be by your side. He did say more but I have not got the best memory in a situation like that.
And then he left.
Now obviously I was in shock, did this just happen sitting on the toilet? I mean really did this just happen. Yes, yes it did.
I went to pick up my Aunty (my dad’s sister) from the airport and told her, she said yes, your dad was looking after me all the way here.
If you have lost someone close, you’d know that every morning when you wake up in the first few weeks that your first thought is, was this all a dream. And then you have to relive it again every day until one day it subsides. As I went to get dressed that morning I had nothing in me to even think, I was on autopilot, I thought what am I going to wear? And then someone answered me, it was my dad again. So I asked another question and there he was, in my mind answering me.
If I asked a question my dad told me the answers where to go what to do, he answered all my questions and helped me plan his funeral. At his funeral, my Aunty said she could see him standing in the church’s doorway looking upon everyone.
After the funeral I was lost, and thought to myself, I’ll be visiting you every day at the cemetery, dad strongly said no, I’m not there I’m here with you. We still obviously go for special occasions.
After the funeral, a few months passed things started to settle down, my dad said to me, I must go now as you need to grieve on a human level, but I will be back. I did not understand at the time, but I do now. If my dad stuck around, I would not be able to grieve properly with a human experience as he was still with me in spirit. He got me through the tough time but there were more hard times ahead. As we know the even harder time is when everyone goes home, and we are left with our grief and to try and get on with our lives. As my dad said life goes on. When he went it just felt so different, I cannot explain it in words. And after a while the flood of grief set upon me.
A few months after not hearing from my dad I reached out to a world known credited medium, who connected with my dad. She told us things only we knew, and she was halfway around the world. But one important message was that there is a book, it will be sticking out of a bookshelf and it will explain something your dad wants you to see. I went to my bookshelf this one particular book was sticking out. I picked it up and just opened it to one random page. On that page I read, was about how some people like to pass by themselves with no one watching, it’s a personal choice, for me this meant that we were sent downstairs, dad didn’t want us watching him die. And when we got upstairs, he’d already gone. I’d been feeling guilty and punishing myself, this cleared it up in a massive way.
To this day I still have contact with my dad in a more subtle way. His main sign on my birthday is he sends me a hummingbird in all different ways. He visits me in my dreams or pops into my head through meditation and during the day. He always has my back still to this day. He is steering this crazy ship of ours. And is our guardian angel for the rest of our lives while we are here on earth.

INSPIRATION FROM SPIRIT BY RACHAEL BURGESS
Inspiration from Spirit was created because spirit has always been a huge part of my life since I was a child. I have succeeded through all my life challenges and lessons because of spirit.
 When I say Spirit, Spirit been our Guides, the Universe, God, and our loved ones who have crossed over to the other side. Whoever you resonate within your own beliefs. 
 My Dad, my hero and best friend who passed almost 10 years ago is one of my main Guides, he still has my back and is helping me steer this ship I call life. It ripped out my heart and changed me forever, I found a strength I did not know I had before. Almost 10 years have passed since he graduated from this earth and a lot has happened, I found my inner strength, I got divorced, found my soul mate, got married and  I now have found the courage and confidence to finally share my life lesson and experiences with you.
Spirit has helped me through all the highs and lows, teenage trauma, suicided, PND, been a single young mum, ex’s, ex friends, ex family members, toxic relationships, grief, divorce to again single mum of 4 to now a family of 8, re married  and living our best life.
The Positive side, spirit has supported me raising my 4 amazing children, financially looking out for us int the most unbelievable ways, finding my soul mate/best friend, finding my true self, and owning it. Finding the love, happiness, and peace that I’ve always desired. Spirit has helped me run my successful award-winning business’s and so much more. I am forever grateful for been able to tune into spirit and ask for guidance.
My family and friends have always wondered how I do it? The good the bad and the ugly. Well it is all thanks to my knowing, upbringing and my belief in Spirit. I have experienced a lot, but it is all a part of my mission, to bring my knowledge to as many people as Spirit needs me to help.
I Believe that before we come here, we have a choice of what religion we want to be born into or to choose, for our own personal life lessons to experience while visiting earth in this lifetime. As we are a soul having a human experience. I see religion as a smorgasbord, that we get to choose from, (this is how I have always explained it). I RESPECT all religious beliefs, I have been taught by my spirit guides, my dad, and my aunty, along with universal lessons. I believe to some degree all religions have the same but different approach that it does not matter who your “GOD” is we all work to the same results and that’s love and peace for the majority of us.
 I was raised as a Roman Catholic; my family and friends are of all different religions and beliefs. My husband is an atheist, yet he knows there is something more to life. He gets the feels and hears a few things now and then. I grew up with a completely different knowing from above within my own self-awareness and a different understanding of how life really works. I knew as a child I did not need to go anywhere to pray to God, or to the universe even though I had to go to church every Sunday until I was an adult and could then make my own choice. I did get my children baptised into the Catholic church along with holy communions etc to follow my dad’s traditions. But now we do not go to church, my children go to a Christian school and they know in their own hearts to do their gratitude and call upon their guides, loved ones, God and the Universe if ever they need help and guidance. My children are very Intune with their sixth sense and understand how it all works. They have always known things just like I did when I was young. When I became an adult it was my choice as to what I believed in, and that was how to help and serve others with healing, love and compassion with spirit, my Guides, God and the universe at my side and tapping into that for clarity for others. 

When I was a child and I saw spirit or just had knowing’s I could not explain, my dad and my Aunty were always there by my side teaching me about the unknown “spirit”. My aunty taught me how to control and tap into my spiritual side and about the universe. Dad taught me more about God, our soul, and the Universe AKA law of attraction. Dad was very intuitive himself; dad’s family was as well but he always turned it off as he had experienced a lot in his lifetime and told me many stories.  Though dad would still warn me of situations and pick up a lot.
I created Inspiration from spirit to help others because that is how I have truly survived this lifetime.  Its why I have made certain decisions and how I have got through the good the bad and the very ugly.  
The Good- Spirit help us with our dreams and goals when we do not have enough money for something (even a bill). We can manifest it from asking spirit=universe/God/guides and loved ones. They have never let me down. Even simple things like asking for a car park when you know its going to be busy. If I do not get what I have asked for then there is always something even better around the corner or a reason why, and 99% of the time it’s because it wasn’t meant for you. Though I may have not seen it, I understood it.
The bad, by helping me understand what I needed to learn from it and move forward.
The ugly by helping me learn and move on at the speed of light or removing toxic people or negativity out of my life.
 
“All my Inspiration has come from Spirit”
 
While we are all souls having a human experience here on earth, we also have guides and our loved ones looking over us and guiding us every day. There is no time or space on the other side.
As a little girl I asked my dad a question as I could not understand death, I asked “even if I was put into a mincemeat machine, I still don’t believe I would be dead” so my dad explained it to me like this, “there is no death only our bodies die, and our souls go to heaven”. He then said, “imagine you’re driving a car, your car is the body, and your soul is you driving it”. I understood, But I still did not believe we ever died. And now as an adult I see what he meant.
 
Inspiration from spirit is my legacy to my family and the world, to teach how to get through life and all the life lessons and challenges it has to offer before our time is up here to leave the world and graduate to the other side.
With Love
Rachael Burgess
Inspiration from Spirit
www.inspirationfromspirit.com
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​I wanted to write this as I feel its important to all the brides and grooms to give them some inspiration from what I/we just experienced.
We just tied the knot on the 1st of April 2020 our wedding 1.0 as my best friend says, which was the
day we would have met 3 years ago, it wasn’t what we planned at all, but we made it even more magical then we could have ever imagined in this time of COVID19.
And yes, its April fools but we got married after lunch LOL
We had 60 people coming to our wedding as we only wanted a very intimate wedding anyway but didn’t expect it to be this intimate LOL
2 weeks out and our PM announce weddings can only be 100 people or less.
We started to get phone calls from our loved ones that they felt unsafe to fly due to health reasons which we supported 110% even though it broke our hearts.
Our families wanted us to get married no matter what, and that they’d all be with us next year for our wedding 2.0
We had my beautiful mother in law and aunties with us from SA as they weren’t missing the 1.0 wedding.
One and half weeks out, we had 45 people coming in a room that could hold 200 so we were still in the guidelines. I got my hair done, nails, and lashes done. Then on the Wednesday night our PM told the country weddings can only be 5 people max. Was we devastated?  Honestly NO, we were more devastated to how this impacted Australia and their business, jobs ECT as we all were.
I was a bit relieved regarding the wedding numbers as I felt people would feel uncomfortable and would be better to do it properly next year anyway with everyone where they will feel safe.
We all decided that our mum and aunties needed to get back home ASAP after hearing that so that’s what they did safely and are quarantining like the rest of us.
We were still allowed to get married with our amazing celebrant and our 2 witnesses who are husband and wife and they are also our BFF’s.
My BFF introduced me to my now husband exactly 3years ago on our wedding date. For this and everything they have done for us we are eternally grateful for.
My BFF was going to be our MC for our wedding and witness, she had organised our hens and buck’s night, and had organised the night before the wedding, that all had to be cancelled obviously. She has defiantly been my rock, not once did she or I complain because we were all in this together, (I love that saying). We just rolled with it.  And as her saying goes, be like a palm tree and just go with the wind. I only felt bad/sad for her as OMG all the effort and love she had put into our special lead up. From MC to witness, to planner, to last minute bridesmaid as I needed her to hold my flowers LOL
Her Hubby was also a part of our ceremony, but lucky for us he still did his thing and then also got to be our witness.
Our children were going to be our bridesmaids and groomsmen, they will get their time next year, which is exciting to see, another thing to look forward to.
We were determined, hubby had already put up fairy lights in our yard and had done it up ready for our daughters 18th birthday which was going to be 2 nights after our wedding with all the family.
I had already made all our wedding props ect, so we were very lucky in that way as we are a very creative family.
So, it was decided to get married in our yard, which ironically was our original plan. Hubby did the most amazing job putting it altogether he’s so clever. Well he does do Halloween every year so that goes without saying. @australianhalloweenking   LOL
 
We had a few options; do we just do the wham bam thank you mam vows or do we do our proper vows?
My BFF advised this is your practice run. If you feel you need to add in more to your vows next year then you have that opportunity to do so. We ran with that advise to make it special, because at the end of the day this was the date we wanted, it was our special date and no one was taking that away from us, it’s the magical day we will never forget no matter where we got married.
 
Did I want my hubby to be to see my dress was my next question?
He said he couldn’t wait another 12mths and neither could I.  I chose to wear my custom made dress, and lucky for me my dress maker is a long-time family friend who has offered to make it even more special for next year.
We dressed up all the kids in their outfits and it just felt even more special along with our witness’s.
 
What about our children that can’t even be at our wedding?
This was our hardest challenge in our hearts and minds.
As our youngest is 5 and a week before the 1.0 wedding I had told him that we might not be able to get married this year, he said, Why mummy is it because the world is broken? 
In that moment my heart dropped, I felt that was another reason why we had to do it now for our children who were so excited for the wedding as well.  For our families to be united.
After we got married our youngest asked, Mummy when are all the other people coming. Awe how cute, made my heart drop a beat again, but I told him, this year it's only going to be us and that’s enough. Next year we will do it all again and the people will be able to come. #blesshim
 
We did ask the government hotline the question, if they are in isolation with us why can’t they stand with us, but we still followed the rules and even though they were inside watching while we was outside getting married I think it turned out even better. It was just hubby and I and it couldn’t have been more intimate.
 
Our neighbours who were coming to the main wedding got dressed up and watched form their yard, that was so beautiful to see.
 
Once our celebrant left, our amazing photographer came to take some pics. Our 2 witness/BFF took the most amazing pics of our ceremony all the pics our photographer would have taken and that we are eternally grateful for.
 
Our night turned out to be the most intimate and amazing night of our lives, one we will never forget, because we didn’t give up on our special date. Our wedding was about us uniting as one, and our 2 families becoming one. And that’s exactly what we got, with the support of our families and friends, Because at the end of the day it’s about the marriage not the wedding.
 
My daughter will get her 18th birthday party we have planned, as all is on hold.
 
My Aunty will get to walk me down the aisle next year like we planned.
 
Our family and friends will get to witness us getting married on our 1st year anniversary and party into the night as we planned and that’s even more special.
 
And you know what, at least we will all feel safe and be safe when that time does come. That’s the important part.
 
Without our families love and support to still get married this year we might have held off. But that’s what would have crushed our spirit as we couldn’t wait another year to get married and to be able to call each other husband and wife, nor could our Children or families.
 
Our friends are due to be married soon, and they are doing the same as us, and we will be right by their sides as their witness.
 
But for those who do wait, when the day does come, and it will, it will be bigger better and even more amazing.
 
We have all got one year to make it that extra special and I’m excited about that so is hubby and the kids. We’ve got one year to save more, one year to get healthier one year to enjoy the process of engagement of the marriage to come.
Written by Rachael Burgess.