Is Pannetone Haunting Me?
by Sandy Duncan
I was never a fan of panettone but remained grateful for the gesture. While visiting with her family after she passed, we almost thought we were in the clear and would receive no panettone. Whilst putting on our coats her hubby reached into the coat closet and said he almost forgot something. He then handed us another panettone! We laughed all the way home giving credit to our dear friend on the Other Side.
Fast forward to this Christmas this year and a celebratory lunch that took place yesterday. These friends didn’t get to meet our dear J in person while she was here in the physical world, but have since met her in Spirit. She has contacted this friend, Christa with messages for me from the Other Side many times. A rather random association maybe, but spectacularly special! Our friend J had contacted Christa a number of times before yesterday.
Prior to their arrival, I said to my hubby, “They are bringing us a panettone.” He laughed and said no. We even placed a small wager on it. So convinced was I that I wrote on a piece of paper, “Stop laughing & read this”. Then, on the inside of the note (sealed with tape) I wrote, “You brought us a panettone today” and wrote the date. The note was stashed in my pocket for quick access. My friend J may have told Christa to bring us a panettone as a symbol of her ongoing presence. Ever loyal to me and with a great sense of mischief and fun, she also told me ahead of time to let me in on the joke.
With three month old daughter in tow, our friends came in with bags and blankets making up part of their entrance. As it well should have been, all of our emphasis was on the three month old beauty who singularly runs their household! With such a stunning daughter, it’s a wonder they get anything done :).
As we cleared our lunch dishes, Christa triumphantly reached into one bag and produced a panettone! She proudly exclaimed that my other friend J had told her to stop while grocery shopping and get us this dessert. Her face lit up as the joy of her gift unfolded. “Wait!” I said and then produced the note. A moment of confusion flashed over Christa’s face and then erupted in laughter. She read the note: “Stop laughing & open the note”. She read it and her mouth fell open! She’d been slightly punked by the Other Side! Our friend J was there in full force, hysterically laughing from the Great Beyond! We hugged, nearly crying with the gift that J brought us both. We had to take a photo in front of the Christmas tree, barely able to contain our excitement, holding the Tiramisu flavoured panettone.
UPDATE 30 DECEMBER, 2019
So it seems that this year is no exception to the panettone story and it certainly deserves it’s own update! A lovely client came for a reading yesterday. Mind you, this is after Christmas and she has absolutely no knowledge of the panettone story on this website or from anywhere else. She handed me the beautiful gift bag upon entry but it wasn’t until the end of our appointment that I asked if I could open this unexpected gift. When she said of course, I reached in and pulled out the panettone that you see below! I was in disbelief but smiled slyly to myself. I couldn’t wait to hear her explanation, which she readily volunteered without prompting from me. She said that she knew she wanted to bring a small gift. She was in the grocery store heading towards the boxes of chocolates. A female voice in her head said no, you have to bring Sandy a panettone. Shaking the thought off as something random, she headed away from the panettone and once again returned to the chocolate aisle. Once again, she was urged back, albeit a bit stronger this time, to the panettone. She said to herself that she didn’t know if I even liked panettone but nevertheless reached for it. With the panettone firmly in her grasp, the voice relented. Determined to fulfil her idea of chocolates, she ended up adding chocolates to the gift as well! Lucky me! She’s telling me this and I’m starting to FREAK OUT! Yes, it was proof positive that my old friend Josie was up to her old tricks again. Josie had a wonderful sense of humour (mostly at my expense whenever she could!) and I could feel her laughing beside me. All in all, another reminder to be grateful for every gift because you never know the reason someone buys you something, especially out of the blue! Thanks Josie! xo P.S. Christa (above) was the first person to receive a nearly hysterical text from me yesterday moments after this took place! She understood all of this perfectly!!
