Byte Sized Blessings | Paranormal Stories, Divine Encounters & Magical Happenings!

Can loved ones communicate after death? Michael shares a stunning paranormal encounter involving his father's spirit, Qigong, energy healing, synchronicity, grief, and a mysterious message from beyond.

Intrigued yet?

What if someone you love could still reach you after they died?

That question sits at the heart of this extraordinary conversation with Michael, whose journey from a seemingly idyllic childhood in Orange County to osteopathic medicine, holistic psychiatry, energy healing, and an openness to paranormal experiences began with a life-changing family secret—and ultimately led to one of the strangest encounters of his life.

Michael grew up believing he was living a carefree childhood. But when he was preparing to start college, he learned that his father had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, when Michael was only 10 years old. His parents had kept the diagnosis from him for nearly eight years because they wanted to protect him from fear and worry.

That revelation profoundly changed Michael's understanding of his family, his father, and his own life.

But his father's death would lead Michael into an entirely different kind of mystery.

A Message From His Father After Death

After Michael's father died in October 2007, something happened just a few months later that Michael says remains one of the most important experiences of his life.

While volunteering at a hospital, a patient told Michael that his father's spirit had come to him with a message: Michael needed to obtain the knowledge.

The patient warned him that if he didn't receive the message, it would eventually come to him in other forms.

Two weeks later, an extraordinary coincidence—or synchronicity—occurred.

A professor Michael hoped to work with on acupuncture research introduced him to an unusual research project studying healers who appeared to influence cells from a distance. That experience opened Michael to a world of questions about consciousness, energy medicine, healing, and the extraordinary possibilities of the human body and mind.

It ultimately helped shape his decision to pursue osteopathic medicine and explore holistic approaches to health.

But wait, Michael's father wasn't finished with him!!

Did His Father Communicate With Him From Beyond?

Then came the experience Michael describes as perhaps the most paranormal event of his life.

During a Qigong healing session, Michael was lying on a table while the practitioner worked with the flow of Qi through his body.

Suddenly, he felt something that seemed unmistakable:

He felt as though he had been slapped in the face.

He immediately asked the practitioner if she had hit him.

She hadn't.

She was nowhere near his face.

And seriously, you're just going to have to listen to this convo to hear the rest-it's astounding!

Energy Healing, Qigong and the Mystery of Human Potential

Michael's experiences also led him to explore questions that sit at the intersection of conventional medicine, energy medicine, consciousness, and spirituality.

His studies exposed him to reports of healers and practitioners claiming extraordinary abilities, including healing at a distance and other phenomena that challenge conventional assumptions about what human beings are capable of.

Those experiences helped inspire his interest in osteopathic medicine and holistic psychiatry—and encouraged him to remain curious about the possibility that human health and consciousness may be far more mysterious than we currently understand.

This episode explores some fascinating questions:

Most importantly, Michael's story isn't simply about paranormal phenomena.

It's about love.

It's about family.

It's about grief and healing.

And it's about the possibility that the people who love us may continue finding ways to help us—even when we can no longer see them.

I know you're intrigued now! So drop on in and listen to Michael's story and his revelation that those who have passed, sometimes come back!

If you want to listen to other episodes about loved ones breaching the liminal space between life and death, click on the links below:

Catherine Svelha tells a charming story about an ancestor...and a cat! Our loved ones might be around us all the time, and you know what? Sometimes our furry friends can let us know that! Listen to "Ghosts Playing With Cats, the Purr-fect Episode For Your Weekend!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Salaam Green tells a powerful story of ancestral magic. Her story of what she witnessed on a Southern plantation is extraordinary. Listen to "Paranormal Plantation: The Woman In The Yellow Apron" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Finally, Becca Eve Young has a profound experience with her father, one that changed her idea of reality-AND? Proves that love is eternal! Listen to "After The Death Of A Father, Learning Love Lasts Forever" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And hey there, want to know about my world? Visit my website at BYTE SIZED BLESSINGS! And follow my Insta, edisonsucks1, because Thomas Edison really did suck, and my YouTube, which is woefully behind!

AND, your bit of beauty this week-just to prove the kids are allright...this Ted Talk with Anushka Naiknaware who has invented a way to help chronic wounds heal- AT JUST 13 YEARS OF AGE!!! Listen to "A teen scientist's invention to help wounds heal," on YouTube HERE.

Can loved ones communicate after death? Michael shares a stunning paranormal encounter involving his father's spirit, Qigong, energy healing, synchronicity, grief, and a mysterious message from beyond.

Intrigued yet?

What if someone you love could still reach you after they died?

That question sits at the heart of this extraordinary conversation with Michael, whose journey from a seemingly idyllic childhood in Orange County to osteopathic medicine, holistic psychiatry, energy healing, and an openness to paranormal experiences began with a life-changing family secret—and ultimately led to one of the strangest encounters of his life.

Michael grew up believing he was living a carefree childhood. But when he was preparing to start college, he learned that his father had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, when Michael was only 10 years old. His parents had kept the diagnosis from him for nearly eight years because they wanted to protect him from fear and worry.

That revelation profoundly changed Michael's understanding of his family, his father, and his own life.

But his father's death would lead Michael into an entirely different kind of mystery.

A Message From His Father After Death

After Michael's father died in October 2007, something happened just a few months later that Michael says remains one of the most important experiences of his life.

While volunteering at a hospital, a patient told Michael that his father's spirit had come to him with a message: Michael needed to obtain the knowledge.

The patient warned him that if he didn't receive the message, it would eventually come to him in other forms.

Two weeks later, an extraordinary coincidence—or synchronicity—occurred.

A professor Michael hoped to work with on acupuncture research introduced him to an unusual research project studying healers who appeared to influence cells from a distance. That experience opened Michael to a world of questions about consciousness, energy medicine, healing, and the extraordinary possibilities of the human body and mind.

It ultimately helped shape his decision to pursue osteopathic medicine and explore holistic approaches to health.

But wait, Michael's father wasn't finished with him!!

Did His Father Communicate With Him From Beyond?

Then came the experience Michael describes as perhaps the most paranormal event of his life.

During a Qigong healing session, Michael was lying on a table while the practitioner worked with the flow of Qi through his body.

Suddenly, he felt something that seemed unmistakable:

He felt as though he had been slapped in the face.

He immediately asked the practitioner if she had hit him.

She hadn't.

She was nowhere near his face.

And seriously, you're just going to have to listen to this convo to hear the rest-it's astounding!

Energy Healing, Qigong and the Mystery of Human Potential

Michael's experiences also led him to explore questions that sit at the intersection of conventional medicine, energy medicine, consciousness, and spirituality.

His studies exposed him to reports of healers and practitioners claiming extraordinary abilities, including healing at a distance and other phenomena that challenge conventional assumptions about what human beings are capable of.

Those experiences helped inspire his interest in osteopathic medicine and holistic psychiatry—and encouraged him to remain curious about the possibility that human health and consciousness may be far more mysterious than we currently understand.

This episode explores some fascinating questions:

Most importantly, Michael's story isn't simply about paranormal phenomena.

It's about love.

It's about family.

It's about grief and healing.

And it's about the possibility that the people who love us may continue finding ways to help us—even when we can no longer see them.

I know you're intrigued now! So drop on in and listen to Michael's story and his revelation that those who have passed, sometimes come back!

If you want to listen to other episodes about loved ones breaching the liminal space between life and death, click on the links below:

Catherine Svelha tells a charming story about an ancestor...and a cat! Our loved ones might be around us all the time, and you know what? Sometimes our furry friends can let us know that! Listen to "Ghosts Playing With Cats, the Purr-fect Episode For Your Weekend!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Salaam Green tells a powerful story of ancestral magic. Her story of what she witnessed on a Southern plantation is extraordinary. Listen to "Paranormal Plantation: The Woman In The Yellow Apron" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Finally, Becca Eve Young has a profound experience with her father, one that changed her idea of reality-AND? Proves that love is eternal! Listen to "After The Death Of A Father, Learning Love Lasts Forever" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And hey there, want to know about my world? Visit my website at BYTE SIZED BLESSINGS! And follow my Insta, edisonsucks1, because Thomas Edison really did suck, and my YouTube, which is woefully behind!

AND, your bit of beauty this week-just to prove the kids are allright...this Ted Talk with Anushka Naiknaware who has invented a way to help chronic wounds heal- AT JUST 13 YEARS OF AGE!!! Listen to "A teen scientist's invention to help wounds heal," on YouTube HERE.

Can art heal us without words? Explore art therapy, intuition, ancestral connection, witchcraft, spirituality and unexpected moments of magic with Wednesdae in this powerful podcast episode.

What If the Most Powerful Moments of Healing Happen Without Words?

What if healing doesn't always require an explanation?

What if sometimes a piece of art, a dance, a feeling, or a moment of deep human connection can communicate something that words simply cannot?

In this episode, I’m joined by Wednesdae, a queer non-binary author, poet, doctoral researcher, board-certified art therapist, licensed counselor, and PhD candidate who works at the fascinating intersection of psychological science, expressive arts, intuition, spirituality, and human transformation.

And Wednesdae brings a story that stopped me in my tracks.

It's not a story about ghosts or a dramatic paranormal encounter. Instead, it's something much more down-to-earth—and perhaps even more extraordinary.

It's a story about an art therapist witnessing a client communicate years of healing through dance.

And for five minutes, neither person needed to say a word.

What If the Most Powerful Moments of Healing Happen Without Words?

What if healing doesn't always require an explanation?

What if sometimes a piece of art, a dance, a feeling, or a moment of deep human connection can communicate something that words simply cannot?

In this episode, I’m joined by Wednesdae, a queer non-binary author, poet, doctoral researcher, board-certified art therapist, licensed counselor, and PhD candidate who works at the fascinating intersection of psychological science, expressive arts, intuition, spirituality, and human transformation.

And Wednesdae brings a story that stopped me in my tracks.

It's not a story about ghosts or a dramatic paranormal encounter. Instead, it's something much more down-to-earth—and perhaps even more extraordinary.

It's a story about an art therapist witnessing a client communicate years of healing through dance.

And for five minutes, neither person needed to say a word. It's incredibly beautiful and a must-listen...and these are all the details I'm going to give you, you'll just have to listen!

Spirituality, Witchcraft and Becoming Your Fullest Self

The conversation then moves into Wednesday's spiritual practice, including witchcraft and paganism.

But this isn't simply a conversation about labels or religious identity.

For Wednesday, embracing this part of themselves was connected to something much deeper:

becoming their fullest and most authentic self.

They describe no longer putting parts of themselves “in the closet”—or, as their friends jokingly call it, the “broom closet.”

And that authenticity became part of their spiritual journey.

The episode explores what can happen when we stop hiding the parts of ourselves that feel different, unconventional, spiritual, intuitive, or mysterious.

Thank goodness.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this conversation is that Wednesdae's story brings the idea of magic down to earth.

Magic doesn't necessarily have to mean something supernatural.

Sometimes magic is:

And maybe that's the real invitation in this episode.

Pay attention.

Because you never know when something ordinary is about to become extraordinary.

Seriously, you guys!

Why You’ll Want to Listen!

This is a conversation about healing, intuition, identity, creativity, spirituality, ancestry and the mysterious connections that can emerge when we stop dismissing the things we feel but can't always explain.

But at its heart, it's about something beautifully simple:

What happens when we become open enough to receive the moment that's right in front of us?

Wednesday reminds us that transformation doesn't always arrive with thunder and lightning.

Sometimes it arrives as a dance.

Sometimes it's a feeling.

Sometimes it's intuition.

Sometimes it's a stranger who changes your life.

And sometimes it's simply the realization that you are finally becoming who you were meant to be.

So listen with an open mind.

And perhaps more importantly, listen with an open heart.

Because you never know when your own small moment of enchantment is waiting just around the corner.

And if you're interested in more stories of magic, witchcraft and intuition, click on the links below, my lovelies...

Michelle Henderson is a psychic, a mystic and someone who lives close to the soul of the world! Her stories of telepathy and autism will have you sitting on the edge of your seat! Listen to "Telepathy & What Those With Autism Have To Teach Us" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Kristin Knudson has many magical stories to tell, but her story of surviving domestic violence, and then welfare, are truly extraordinary! Listen to "Surviving Welfare & Saving Dogs, It's All In A Day's Faith" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Lance Cayko tells an unreal story of finding his birth family and the amazing synchronicities that had to happen so that he could do so. A series of events that are so surprising, it will change your understanding of reality. Listen to "The Family Ties That Bind Us!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And what about my delightful guest, Wednesday you might ask?? Well, below are the links:

Wednesdae's website!
Their Insta!
Their YouTube!
And how about you buy a book or two! You can do that HERE!

And what about me? Little old me? Click on the links below to check me out! :-)
Byte Sized Blessings the website!
My Insta, edisonsucks1 because Thomas Edison was really a douche!
and my YouTube which is woefully behind!

And I would NEVER forget your bit of beauty, so here it is! From World of Creatives, watch "how to create your best art," and while he states that you truly don't have to be an artist to start...hmmm...I agree. And I don't. You have to really want to take the time and have the intention to put down your devices and dive down into the realm of reverie and revelation. And after? You'll feel amazing, but you have to put down your phone!

Can art heal us without words? Explore art therapy, intuition, ancestral connection, witchcraft, spirituality and unexpected moments of magic with Wednesdae in this powerful podcast episode.

What If the Most Powerful Moments of Healing Happen Without Words?

What if healing doesn't always require an explanation?

What if sometimes a piece of art, a dance, a feeling, or a moment of deep human connection can communicate something that words simply cannot?

In this episode, I’m joined by Wednesdae, a queer non-binary author, poet, doctoral researcher, board-certified art therapist, licensed counselor, and PhD candidate who works at the fascinating intersection of psychological science, expressive arts, intuition, spirituality, and human transformation.

And Wednesdae brings a story that stopped me in my tracks.

It's not a story about ghosts or a dramatic paranormal encounter. Instead, it's something much more down-to-earth—and perhaps even more extraordinary.

It's a story about an art therapist witnessing a client communicate years of healing through dance.

And for five minutes, neither person needed to say a word.

What If the Most Powerful Moments of Healing Happen Without Words?

What if healing doesn't always require an explanation?

What if sometimes a piece of art, a dance, a feeling, or a moment of deep human connection can communicate something that words simply cannot?

In this episode, I’m joined by Wednesdae, a queer non-binary author, poet, doctoral researcher, board-certified art therapist, licensed counselor, and PhD candidate who works at the fascinating intersection of psychological science, expressive arts, intuition, spirituality, and human transformation.

And Wednesdae brings a story that stopped me in my tracks.

It's not a story about ghosts or a dramatic paranormal encounter. Instead, it's something much more down-to-earth—and perhaps even more extraordinary.

It's a story about an art therapist witnessing a client communicate years of healing through dance.

And for five minutes, neither person needed to say a word. It's incredibly beautiful and a must-listen...and these are all the details I'm going to give you, you'll just have to listen!

Spirituality, Witchcraft and Becoming Your Fullest Self

The conversation then moves into Wednesday's spiritual practice, including witchcraft and paganism.

But this isn't simply a conversation about labels or religious identity.

For Wednesday, embracing this part of themselves was connected to something much deeper:

becoming their fullest and most authentic self.

They describe no longer putting parts of themselves “in the closet”—or, as their friends jokingly call it, the “broom closet.”

And that authenticity became part of their spiritual journey.

The episode explores what can happen when we stop hiding the parts of ourselves that feel different, unconventional, spiritual, intuitive, or mysterious.

Thank goodness.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this conversation is that Wednesdae's story brings the idea of magic down to earth.

Magic doesn't necessarily have to mean something supernatural.

Sometimes magic is:

And maybe that's the real invitation in this episode.

Pay attention.

Because you never know when something ordinary is about to become extraordinary.

Seriously, you guys!

Why You’ll Want to Listen!

This is a conversation about healing, intuition, identity, creativity, spirituality, ancestry and the mysterious connections that can emerge when we stop dismissing the things we feel but can't always explain.

But at its heart, it's about something beautifully simple:

What happens when we become open enough to receive the moment that's right in front of us?

Wednesday reminds us that transformation doesn't always arrive with thunder and lightning.

Sometimes it arrives as a dance.

Sometimes it's a feeling.

Sometimes it's intuition.

Sometimes it's a stranger who changes your life.

And sometimes it's simply the realization that you are finally becoming who you were meant to be.

So listen with an open mind.

And perhaps more importantly, listen with an open heart.

Because you never know when your own small moment of enchantment is waiting just around the corner.

And if you're interested in more stories of magic, witchcraft and intuition, click on the links below, my lovelies...

Michelle Henderson is a psychic, a mystic and someone who lives close to the soul of the world! Her stories of telepathy and autism will have you sitting on the edge of your seat! Listen to "Telepathy & What Those With Autism Have To Teach Us" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Kristin Knudson has many magical stories to tell, but her story of surviving domestic violence, and then welfare, are truly extraordinary! Listen to "Surviving Welfare & Saving Dogs, It's All In A Day's Faith" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Lance Cayko tells an unreal story of finding his birth family and the amazing synchronicities that had to happen so that he could do so. A series of events that are so surprising, it will change your understanding of reality. Listen to "The Family Ties That Bind Us!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And what about my delightful guest, Wednesday you might ask?? Well, below are the links:

Wednesdae's website!
Their Insta!
Their YouTube!
And how about you buy a book or two! You can do that HERE!

And what about me? Little old me? Click on the links below to check me out! :-)
Byte Sized Blessings the website!
My Insta, edisonsucks1 because Thomas Edison was really a douche!
and my YouTube which is woefully behind!

And I would NEVER forget your bit of beauty, so here it is! From World of Creatives, watch "how to create your best art," and while he states that you truly don't have to be an artist to start...hmmm...I agree. And I don't. You have to really want to take the time and have the intention to put down your devices and dive down into the realm of reverie and revelation. And after? You'll feel amazing, but you have to put down your phone!

What if the people we love continue to send us signs after death? Portia shares extraordinary stories of grief, near-death experiences, synchronicity, signs from loved ones, and the miraculous transformation that followed her mother’s death.

What If Grief Is Not the End of the Story?

What if losing someone you love could somehow become the beginning of a profound transformation?

In this deeply moving episode, Portia the Producer, a grief awareness advocate, media professional, storyteller, and mental health advocate, shares extraordinary stories about grief, death, signs from loved ones, synchronicity, near-death experiences, family, and spiritual transformation.

And then there is the story of what happened when her mother died.

Portia was sitting beside her mother during her final moments, witnessing something that few of us ever get the opportunity to see so closely: the transition from life to death. She recorded their final conversation because something inside her told her she would want to remember it.

Her mother's final message?

“Go for it.”


Portia's Extraordinary Story of Her Mother's Death

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is Portia's description of being present when her mother took her final breath.

She describes watching the room change in the instant her mother's heart stopped and experiencing what she understood as her mother's spirit waving goodbye and blowing her a kiss.

Rather than dismissing the experience, Portia allowed herself to remain curious about what it might mean.

She had asked her mother for a sign that she was okay.

Three days later, a monarch butterfly began circling in Portia's yard.

For Portia, it felt like an unmistakable message.

And that experience became part of a much larger journey through grief, spirituality, synchronicity, signs from the deceased, and personal transformation.

A Near-Death Experience on an Oklahoma Highway

Portia also shares the terrifying story of a near-death experience while driving in Oklahoma.

Traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour, the back tire of her rental car suddenly blew out and the back bumper flew off.

She managed to get the vehicle safely off the highway.

Then, while sitting there shaken and overwhelmed, she looked up.

A blue heron was circling above her.

Portia experienced the bird as a powerful reassurance: I see you. I got you.

A police officer who witnessed what happened told her how much worse the accident could have been.

But the story didn't end there. And guess what? You'll just have to listen to hear the rest of the story!

What Strong Women Taught Portia About Life!

Portia also takes us into the remarkable household in which she was raised.

She grew up surrounded by generations of strong women, including her great-grandmother, who was born in 1915.

Her great-grandmother didn't have a conventional education by today's standards, but she understood something Portia considers far more important:

She understood people.

Through watching her great-grandmother interact with others, Portia learned about hospitality, storytelling, business, relationships, and bringing people together.

Those lessons ultimately helped shape her entrepreneurial life and her understanding of the power of human connection.

But being raised around strong, independent women also came with another lesson: Portia learned that she was supposed to be strong all the time.

Eventually, she had to learn something very different.

It's okay to ask for help.

It's okay to be vulnerable.

It's okay to let someone love you and help you. And this, too, is a lesson I have had to learn. It is a hard one, but oh so necessary!

Meet Portia the Producer

Portia brings together media, storytelling, grief awareness, mental health advocacy, entrepreneurship, and personal transformation in a career that has taken her through many different chapters.

She is also the executive producer and host of Groove with Portia, where she continues to explore stories, people, culture, and the experiences that connect us.

But perhaps the most powerful thing Portia brings to this conversation isn't a particular job title.

It's her conviction that our experiences can become gifts when we are willing to share them with other people.

Her stories remind us to notice the synchronicities.

To pay attention to the unexpected.

To allow ourselves to receive help.

To remain open to mystery.

And, perhaps most importantly, to keep going.

Because sometimes what looks like the end of one life chapter is actually the beginning of another.

And thank goodness for that!

Listen to the Full Episode My Friends!

If you've ever experienced a strange coincidence after someone died, wondered whether a loved one was sending you a sign, struggled to find meaning after loss, or simply felt that there might be more mystery in this world than we can explain, this conversation with Portia is one you'll want to hear.

Listen to Portia's extraordinary stories of grief, synchronicity, near-death experience, signs from loved ones, family, healing, and transformation—and see what happens when you remain open to the possibility that the world is communicating with you. And guess what? The world's only going to get even more exciting!


If you want to hear more stories like this, stories of connection and love and that liminal space between death and life, you'll want to click on the links below!

Diana Divine shares a story of being saved! The voice that spoke in her ear one day was insistent-she needed to leave the bus stop, or something bad would happen. What happened next allowed Diana to understand this world is a very intentional and alive place! Listen to "The Voice That Warned Her And Saved Her Life" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Salaam Green shares her story about being on a Southern plantation and witnessing something she would never forget! Listen to "The Woman In The Yellow Apron, Paranormal Plantations!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And then, for the animal lovers, Catherine shares a charming and spooky story of what she witnessed one day...and the veil is indeed thin, in her life! Listen to "Ghosts Playing With Cats, the Purr-fect Episode For Your Weekend!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And what, you may ask, about my most splendid guest, Portia? Well, here are the links below!

Listen to "Groove With Portia" on Apple Podcasts HERE.
Here is a link to her Facebook, as well as her YouTube!
And then, her decidedly cool Insta! And finally, her incredible audiobook, "Finding Grace within Grief: Her Transition...My Transformation," can be listened to right here!

Don't forget to rate and review the pod, Byte Sized Blessings, because you LOVE IT, you know you do!

Please and thank you and thank you and thank you!

If you want to see what I'm up to: here is my website, Byte Sized Blessings
As well as my Insta, and my YouTube, which is woefully behind!

And now for your bit of beauty...this beautiful video about keening in Ireland and northern climes, "Keening | Six authentic recordings from Ireland and Scotland (1955-1965)" shared with us by The Folk Revival Project. Keening is so ancient and essential...this video is a powerful testament to those who express grief in this way, as well as the bringing together of community and the connection that results.

What if the people we love continue to send us signs after death? Portia shares extraordinary stories of grief, near-death experiences, synchronicity, signs from loved ones, and the miraculous transformation that followed her mother’s death.

What If Grief Is Not the End of the Story?

What if losing someone you love could somehow become the beginning of a profound transformation?

In this deeply moving episode, Portia the Producer, a grief awareness advocate, media professional, storyteller, and mental health advocate, shares extraordinary stories about grief, death, signs from loved ones, synchronicity, near-death experiences, family, and spiritual transformation.

And then there is the story of what happened when her mother died.

Portia was sitting beside her mother during her final moments, witnessing something that few of us ever get the opportunity to see so closely: the transition from life to death. She recorded their final conversation because something inside her told her she would want to remember it.

Her mother's final message?

“Go for it.”


Portia's Extraordinary Story of Her Mother's Death

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is Portia's description of being present when her mother took her final breath.

She describes watching the room change in the instant her mother's heart stopped and experiencing what she understood as her mother's spirit waving goodbye and blowing her a kiss.

Rather than dismissing the experience, Portia allowed herself to remain curious about what it might mean.

She had asked her mother for a sign that she was okay.

Three days later, a monarch butterfly began circling in Portia's yard.

For Portia, it felt like an unmistakable message.

And that experience became part of a much larger journey through grief, spirituality, synchronicity, signs from the deceased, and personal transformation.

A Near-Death Experience on an Oklahoma Highway

Portia also shares the terrifying story of a near-death experience while driving in Oklahoma.

Traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour, the back tire of her rental car suddenly blew out and the back bumper flew off.

She managed to get the vehicle safely off the highway.

Then, while sitting there shaken and overwhelmed, she looked up.

A blue heron was circling above her.

Portia experienced the bird as a powerful reassurance: I see you. I got you.

A police officer who witnessed what happened told her how much worse the accident could have been.

But the story didn't end there. And guess what? You'll just have to listen to hear the rest of the story!

What Strong Women Taught Portia About Life!

Portia also takes us into the remarkable household in which she was raised.

She grew up surrounded by generations of strong women, including her great-grandmother, who was born in 1915.

Her great-grandmother didn't have a conventional education by today's standards, but she understood something Portia considers far more important:

She understood people.

Through watching her great-grandmother interact with others, Portia learned about hospitality, storytelling, business, relationships, and bringing people together.

Those lessons ultimately helped shape her entrepreneurial life and her understanding of the power of human connection.

But being raised around strong, independent women also came with another lesson: Portia learned that she was supposed to be strong all the time.

Eventually, she had to learn something very different.

It's okay to ask for help.

It's okay to be vulnerable.

It's okay to let someone love you and help you. And this, too, is a lesson I have had to learn. It is a hard one, but oh so necessary!

Meet Portia the Producer

Portia brings together media, storytelling, grief awareness, mental health advocacy, entrepreneurship, and personal transformation in a career that has taken her through many different chapters.

She is also the executive producer and host of Groove with Portia, where she continues to explore stories, people, culture, and the experiences that connect us.

But perhaps the most powerful thing Portia brings to this conversation isn't a particular job title.

It's her conviction that our experiences can become gifts when we are willing to share them with other people.

Her stories remind us to notice the synchronicities.

To pay attention to the unexpected.

To allow ourselves to receive help.

To remain open to mystery.

And, perhaps most importantly, to keep going.

Because sometimes what looks like the end of one life chapter is actually the beginning of another.

And thank goodness for that!

Listen to the Full Episode My Friends!

If you've ever experienced a strange coincidence after someone died, wondered whether a loved one was sending you a sign, struggled to find meaning after loss, or simply felt that there might be more mystery in this world than we can explain, this conversation with Portia is one you'll want to hear.

Listen to Portia's extraordinary stories of grief, synchronicity, near-death experience, signs from loved ones, family, healing, and transformation—and see what happens when you remain open to the possibility that the world is communicating with you. And guess what? The world's only going to get even more exciting!


If you want to hear more stories like this, stories of connection and love and that liminal space between death and life, you'll want to click on the links below!

Diana Divine shares a story of being saved! The voice that spoke in her ear one day was insistent-she needed to leave the bus stop, or something bad would happen. What happened next allowed Diana to understand this world is a very intentional and alive place! Listen to "The Voice That Warned Her And Saved Her Life" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Salaam Green shares her story about being on a Southern plantation and witnessing something she would never forget! Listen to "The Woman In The Yellow Apron, Paranormal Plantations!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And then, for the animal lovers, Catherine shares a charming and spooky story of what she witnessed one day...and the veil is indeed thin, in her life! Listen to "Ghosts Playing With Cats, the Purr-fect Episode For Your Weekend!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And what, you may ask, about my most splendid guest, Portia? Well, here are the links below!

Listen to "Groove With Portia" on Apple Podcasts HERE.
Here is a link to her Facebook, as well as her YouTube!
And then, her decidedly cool Insta! And finally, her incredible audiobook, "Finding Grace within Grief: Her Transition...My Transformation," can be listened to right here!

Don't forget to rate and review the pod, Byte Sized Blessings, because you LOVE IT, you know you do!

Please and thank you and thank you and thank you!

If you want to see what I'm up to: here is my website, Byte Sized Blessings
As well as my Insta, and my YouTube, which is woefully behind!

And now for your bit of beauty...this beautiful video about keening in Ireland and northern climes, "Keening | Six authentic recordings from Ireland and Scotland (1955-1965)" shared with us by The Folk Revival Project. Keening is so ancient and essential...this video is a powerful testament to those who express grief in this way, as well as the bringing together of community and the connection that results.

Can you see spirits after brain surgery? What happens when you wake up from a coma and have to relearn how to walk, talk, and think? Can pets communicate with people? And what does it mean when a psychic knows details about your life that they couldn't possibly know?

In this extraordinary episode, retired registered nurse and brain tumor surgery survivor Jennifer White shares a remarkable story of survival, recovery, spirituality, paranormal experiences, death, animal communication, and what she believes exists beyond the physical world.

Jennifer's story begins with one of the greatest challenges imaginable: surviving brain tumor surgery, waking from a coma, and having to relearn how to live.

But that's only the beginning.

Jennifer also describes seeing spirits, feeling the presence of people who have died, unexplained experiences in her home, and an extraordinary encounter with a pet empath who appeared to communicate with a deceased nursing-home cat named Rome.

And the details of the Rome story are astonishing! (so excited for you all to hear this story!)

Jennifer White's Miracle of Survival!

Jennifer's brain tumor survival story is itself a miracle.
After emerging from a coma and facing the prospect of relearning seemingly ordinary human abilities, she kept going.
That's why her story is ultimately bigger than brain surgery.
It is about resilience after trauma, recovering when the odds seem impossible, overcoming adversity, and discovering that you may be capable of much more than you think.
Jennifer's message is simple:

Never give up.


Can People Really See Spirits?

Jennifer also has another extraordinary story to tell.
She says she was aware of spirits both before and after her surgery.
She describes seeing people who she believes are spirits, talking to them, and experiencing unexplained phenomena in homes and other locations.
That raises some fascinating questions:

Why Do Some People See Spirits?
Jennifer believes there is more happening around us than we normally perceive.
She describes hearing footsteps, experiencing unexplained activity, and sensing a presence in her home. And then, she shares so much more, including a really funny story that happened with her husband one night!

Are Paranormal Experiences Always Scary?

For Jennifer, they aren't.
She says she has never encountered a spirit she considered nasty. Instead, she describes experiences that range from unexplained noises to objects behaving unexpectedly.
Her perspective is particularly interesting because she isn't presenting herself simply as a paranormal enthusiast.
She spent years as a registered nurse and director of nursing, caring for people through illness, aging, and death. So death and the paranormal are "normal" for her, because of her work and her experiences.

What Happens When Someone Dies?


One of the most profound parts of Jennifer's story comes from her professional experience.
She has been present when people died.
She describes feeling, for lack of a better word, their presence leave their bodies.
Those experiences contributed to her belief that human beings are spirits having a physical experience and that something continues after physical death.
That leads directly into some of humanity's oldest questions:

Jennifer doesn't claim to have all the answers. And I don't either, but I love the mystery and the question around this, because it makes life more exciting!

Can Deceased Pets Communicate With Us?

Then Jennifer tells the story that may stay with you long after the episode ends.
Rome was a cat.
When Jennifer was working as a director of nursing at a nursing home in Toronto, one of the residents had a cat named Rome.
After the resident died, the nursing home essentially adopted him.
Rome became part of the community.
He wandered around visiting residents and would regularly come into Jennifer's office, jump onto her desk, and spend time with her. And that's all I'm going to leave you with because the story gets even better from there. You'll just have to listen, my friends!

Do Cats Have Spirits?

Jennifer clearly believes they do.
Her experience with Rome fits into her broader belief that animals, humans, and consciousness may be connected in ways we don't fully understand.

The story also raises questions about:

For Jennifer, Rome's story is not just about a cat. It is about connection continuing beyond physical death.

Signs From the Other Side: Jennifer's Unexplained Experiences


Jennifer's stories throughout this episode share a common thread:
connection.
She describes spirits.
She describes people who have died.
She describes an unexplained light that she believes responds to her.
She describes hearing footsteps.
She describes encounters in old homes.
And she describes a deceased cat communicating information that Jennifer says could not easily have been known by the person conducting the reading.
These stories invite listeners to consider whether some coincidences are more meaningful than they initially appear.

If you're fascinated by brain tumor survival stories, coma recovery, paranormal experiences, seeing spirits, life after death, animal communication, deceased pets, pet psychics, synchronicity, miracles, and unexplained phenomena, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

Jennifer White's story is ultimately a reminder that the world may be stranger, more mysterious, and more beautiful than we realize.

Sometimes the miracle is surviving.

Sometimes the miracle is recovering.

Sometimes the miracle is a mysterious encounter you can't explain.

And sometimes, apparently, the miracle is a little cat named Rome waiting for you at the nursing home.

To hear more stories of animals and miracle encounters, click on the links below to hear these sweet stories!

Leslie Draffin shares a powerfully impactful story about her beloved dog and how she got the answers she needed after this sweet nugget passed. Listen to "Paranormal Pets? Dog Love After Death!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE!

Junko Nagao shares multiple stories about being an Animist and the very potent, alive world which she inhabits. It's full of spirits, magic and many, many layers of miraculous reality! Listen to "All The Spirits We Cannot See, Japanese Animist Magic!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Ines Maricle shares a story about being intensely psychic as a child and her ability to speak with the animals. She absolutely inhabits the places in between and so you'll not want to miss her story. Listen to "Animal Communication and Wildwood Magic" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And what about my delightful guest, Jennifer White, you ask? Well, to get ahold of her on her website, click here. And to buy any and all of her delightful creations, click here for her selling page!

To reach me, in the wilds, here is my website: Byte Sized Blessings. And my Insta, as well as my YouTube which is woefully out of date!

DON'T FORGET TO RATE AND REVIEW...IT WOULD MEAN EVER SO MUCH!

Your bit of beauty is this: The Travel Channel has this little video titled "Pets vs. Ghosts, Paranormal Caught on Camera!" I'm not gonna lie, I think our sweet roommates, whatever animal they are, can sense a lot more than we ever could. Super cool!!

Can you see spirits after brain surgery? What happens when you wake up from a coma and have to relearn how to walk, talk, and think? Can pets communicate with people? And what does it mean when a psychic knows details about your life that they couldn't possibly know?

In this extraordinary episode, retired registered nurse and brain tumor surgery survivor Jennifer White shares a remarkable story of survival, recovery, spirituality, paranormal experiences, death, animal communication, and what she believes exists beyond the physical world.

Jennifer's story begins with one of the greatest challenges imaginable: surviving brain tumor surgery, waking from a coma, and having to relearn how to live.

But that's only the beginning.

Jennifer also describes seeing spirits, feeling the presence of people who have died, unexplained experiences in her home, and an extraordinary encounter with a pet empath who appeared to communicate with a deceased nursing-home cat named Rome.

And the details of the Rome story are astonishing! (so excited for you all to hear this story!)

Jennifer White's Miracle of Survival!

Jennifer's brain tumor survival story is itself a miracle.
After emerging from a coma and facing the prospect of relearning seemingly ordinary human abilities, she kept going.
That's why her story is ultimately bigger than brain surgery.
It is about resilience after trauma, recovering when the odds seem impossible, overcoming adversity, and discovering that you may be capable of much more than you think.
Jennifer's message is simple:

Never give up.


Can People Really See Spirits?

Jennifer also has another extraordinary story to tell.
She says she was aware of spirits both before and after her surgery.
She describes seeing people who she believes are spirits, talking to them, and experiencing unexplained phenomena in homes and other locations.
That raises some fascinating questions:

Why Do Some People See Spirits?
Jennifer believes there is more happening around us than we normally perceive.
She describes hearing footsteps, experiencing unexplained activity, and sensing a presence in her home. And then, she shares so much more, including a really funny story that happened with her husband one night!

Are Paranormal Experiences Always Scary?

For Jennifer, they aren't.
She says she has never encountered a spirit she considered nasty. Instead, she describes experiences that range from unexplained noises to objects behaving unexpectedly.
Her perspective is particularly interesting because she isn't presenting herself simply as a paranormal enthusiast.
She spent years as a registered nurse and director of nursing, caring for people through illness, aging, and death. So death and the paranormal are "normal" for her, because of her work and her experiences.

What Happens When Someone Dies?


One of the most profound parts of Jennifer's story comes from her professional experience.
She has been present when people died.
She describes feeling, for lack of a better word, their presence leave their bodies.
Those experiences contributed to her belief that human beings are spirits having a physical experience and that something continues after physical death.
That leads directly into some of humanity's oldest questions:

Jennifer doesn't claim to have all the answers. And I don't either, but I love the mystery and the question around this, because it makes life more exciting!

Can Deceased Pets Communicate With Us?

Then Jennifer tells the story that may stay with you long after the episode ends.
Rome was a cat.
When Jennifer was working as a director of nursing at a nursing home in Toronto, one of the residents had a cat named Rome.
After the resident died, the nursing home essentially adopted him.
Rome became part of the community.
He wandered around visiting residents and would regularly come into Jennifer's office, jump onto her desk, and spend time with her. And that's all I'm going to leave you with because the story gets even better from there. You'll just have to listen, my friends!

Do Cats Have Spirits?

Jennifer clearly believes they do.
Her experience with Rome fits into her broader belief that animals, humans, and consciousness may be connected in ways we don't fully understand.

The story also raises questions about:

For Jennifer, Rome's story is not just about a cat. It is about connection continuing beyond physical death.

Signs From the Other Side: Jennifer's Unexplained Experiences


Jennifer's stories throughout this episode share a common thread:
connection.
She describes spirits.
She describes people who have died.
She describes an unexplained light that she believes responds to her.
She describes hearing footsteps.
She describes encounters in old homes.
And she describes a deceased cat communicating information that Jennifer says could not easily have been known by the person conducting the reading.
These stories invite listeners to consider whether some coincidences are more meaningful than they initially appear.

If you're fascinated by brain tumor survival stories, coma recovery, paranormal experiences, seeing spirits, life after death, animal communication, deceased pets, pet psychics, synchronicity, miracles, and unexplained phenomena, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

Jennifer White's story is ultimately a reminder that the world may be stranger, more mysterious, and more beautiful than we realize.

Sometimes the miracle is surviving.

Sometimes the miracle is recovering.

Sometimes the miracle is a mysterious encounter you can't explain.

And sometimes, apparently, the miracle is a little cat named Rome waiting for you at the nursing home.

To hear more stories of animals and miracle encounters, click on the links below to hear these sweet stories!

Leslie Draffin shares a powerfully impactful story about her beloved dog and how she got the answers she needed after this sweet nugget passed. Listen to "Paranormal Pets? Dog Love After Death!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE!

Junko Nagao shares multiple stories about being an Animist and the very potent, alive world which she inhabits. It's full of spirits, magic and many, many layers of miraculous reality! Listen to "All The Spirits We Cannot See, Japanese Animist Magic!" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

Ines Maricle shares a story about being intensely psychic as a child and her ability to speak with the animals. She absolutely inhabits the places in between and so you'll not want to miss her story. Listen to "Animal Communication and Wildwood Magic" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And what about my delightful guest, Jennifer White, you ask? Well, to get ahold of her on her website, click here. And to buy any and all of her delightful creations, click here for her selling page!

To reach me, in the wilds, here is my website: Byte Sized Blessings. And my Insta, as well as my YouTube which is woefully out of date!

DON'T FORGET TO RATE AND REVIEW...IT WOULD MEAN EVER SO MUCH!

Your bit of beauty is this: The Travel Channel has this little video titled "Pets vs. Ghosts, Paranormal Caught on Camera!" I'm not gonna lie, I think our sweet roommates, whatever animal they are, can sense a lot more than we ever could. Super cool!!

What is synchronicity, and are coincidences meaningful? Explore Carl Jung, incredible true coincidence stories, chaos theory, fate, signs from the universe, and the mysterious connections linking our lives.

What if the coincidences in your life aren't really coincidences?


Why do seemingly unrelated events sometimes line up with astonishing precision? What does it mean when you think about someone you haven't seen in years—and suddenly they appear? Why do certain unlikely events happen at exactly the right moment?

In this fascinating episode, we explore synchronicity, meaningful coincidences, coincidence and causation, interconnectedness, and the possibility that there are hidden patterns within the apparent randomness of life.

Inspired by a passage from Lyall Watson's The Dreams of the Dragons, this episode explores some of the most remarkable examples of synchronicity ever reported—including a devastating church explosion in Nebraska, actor Anthony Hopkins' incredible encounter with a lost book, a future husband appearing unexpectedly in a childhood photograph, and a startling real-life coincidence involving a long-lost romantic connection.

Could these events simply be random chance? Or could they reveal something deeper about how interconnected our lives really are?

What Is Synchronicity?

Synchronicity is a term most closely associated with Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, who used it to describe meaningful coincidences—events that appear to be connected by meaning even though there is no obvious causal relationship between them.

Jung's ideas raise a fascinating question:

Can two unrelated events be connected in a meaningful way?

This episode explores the difference between coincidence and synchronicity, and why some coincidences feel so extraordinary that we instinctively wonder whether the universe is trying to tell us something.

We also look at the historical idea that the world may be fundamentally interconnected—a concept explored by philosophers, physicians, psychologists, and scientists throughout history.

Are Coincidences Meaningful?

One of the central questions of this episode is whether coincidences can have meaning.

Psychology, philosophy, probability, spirituality, and science all approach this question differently.

Some coincidences can be explained through probability and statistics. Others may be examples of our brains recognizing patterns in random events.

But that doesn't necessarily eliminate the personal meaning of the experience.

Sometimes a coincidence stops us in our tracks.

Sometimes it makes us wonder.

Sometimes it changes how we see our lives.

And sometimes the most interesting question isn't "Was this supernatural?" but:

"What does this experience mean to me?"


Is There a Pattern Inside Randomness?

The episode also explores an intriguing connection to chaos theory.

Although chaos can appear completely random, mathematical systems can contain recognizable structures and patterns—including strange attractors.

Could the apparent randomness of life contain patterns that we don't yet understand?

Could synchronicity somehow emerge from hidden connections within complex systems?

There is no simple answer, but these questions sit at the fascinating intersection of science, psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and mystery.


Episode Highlights

✨ The astonishing story of the 1950 Beatrice, Nebraska church explosion and the choir members who were all inexplicably late

📖 Anthony Hopkins' strange encounter with the lost copy of The Girl from Petrovka

📸 The extraordinary story of a future husband appearing in his wife's childhood Disney World photograph

❤️ A startling real-life coincidence involving a former romantic partner appearing at exactly the moment he was being discussed

🧠 Carl Jung's theory of synchronicity

🔬 The fascinating relationship between chaos theory, randomness, patterns, and synchronicity

🌎 The ancient and modern idea that everything in the universe may be interconnected

✨ An invitation to become more aware of the magical coincidences and mysterious encounters happening in everyday life

Another short excerpt from a book, this one captured my attention and I wanted to share it with you all right away. I love synchronicity myself, as I feel like it allows us to get a glimpse behind the universe. For those of you wanting to read about other synchronistic stories, here is an article from Bored Panda that will get you thinking!

For those of you who want to read up on the patterns they have found inside Chaos Theory, here you go!:

Core Patterns of Chaos

Strange Attractors: These are geometric boundaries that pull the system's behavior toward a specific set of shapes. Instead of settling on a single point or a simple loop, the path loops endlessly within a confined space without ever crossing itself, such as the butterfly-shaped Lorenz Attractor.
Fractals: These are never-ending, infinitely complex structures that show self-similarity across different scales. When you zoom in on a fractal pattern, smaller pieces mirror the overall shape, which you can see in natural objects like coastlines, clouds, and lightning.
The Butterfly Effect: Formally called sensitive dependence on initial conditions, this pattern shows how a tiny change at the start can multiply over time and lead to massive, unexpected differences later.
Bifurcation Diagrams: This visual pattern maps how a system splits or branches into new behaviors as a variable changes. It illustrates the transition point where a stable, predictable system breaks apart into complex, chaotic behavior.
Feedback Loops: Constant internal feedback feeds output back into the input of the system. This recursive process drives the continuous generation of self-similar and chaotic designs.

Whew! Here's the Wiki Entry for those of you brave enough to venture there!

If you want to check out Lyall Watson's books as well as his other works, click HERE.

To see what I am doing in this patterned and chaotic world, HERE is my website, my Insta, and my YouTube!

Don't forget to rate and review...it makes me ever so happy! (and grateful, gratitude is important!)


synchronicity, meaningful coincidences, synchronicity meaning, what is synchronicity, coincidence and synchronicity, Carl Jung synchronicity, meaningful coincidence, unexplained coincidences, amazing coincidences, strange coincidences,what does it mean when you think about someone and then see them, why do meaningful coincidences happen, are coincidences messages from the universe, what does synchronicity mean spiritually, is synchronicity real or coincidence, examples of synchronicity in everyday life, amazing examples of meaningful coincidences, why do strange coincidences happen, what is Carl Jung's theory of synchronicity, can random events have meaning

What was it really like to volunteer at Ground Zero after 9/11?

Twenty-five years later, Bethany Anne Putnam shares her extraordinary story of spending six weeks at Ground Zero in New York City after the September 11 attacks, helping organize volunteers, feed first responders, distribute supplies, and create a place of rest and comfort at historic St. Paul’s Chapel.

This is not simply a story about September 11, 2001. It is a story about what happened after the attacks—when firefighters, police officers, National Guard members, volunteers, chaplains, clergy, medical professionals, musicians, businesses, churches, and ordinary people came together to help.

It is also a powerful story about human kindness after tragedy.

Who Was Bethany Anne Putnam Before 9/11?

Bethany describes herself as having an unconventional career path built around hospitality, organization, logistics, volunteerism, and service.
She had worked in hotels, catering, personal-chef roles, nonprofit management, political campaigns, and other fields. From childhood, volunteering and giving back were part of her life.
Her disaster-relief work began after a devastating tornado in Oklahoma.
That experience eventually inspired her to create Labor of Love, a disaster-relief organization that brought volunteers into communities affected by disasters.

What Was It Like to Volunteer at Ground Zero After 9/11?

When Bethany received the call asking how quickly she could get to New York, she packed her belongings, loaded her car, and drove to Manhattan.
She arrived at St. Paul’s Chapel on September 19.
St. Paul’s Chapel became a sanctuary for firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, National Guard members, volunteers, and others working at Ground Zero.
The historic chapel had survived the destruction with virtually no damage. Because of its location near the World Trade Center site, it became an important place for food, rest, prayer, comfort, supplies, and support for first responders.
Bethany was asked to help coordinate the volunteer operation.
And coordination was desperately needed.

What Was the Miracle of St. Paul’s Chapel After 9/11?

For Bethany, the miracle was not necessarily one supernatural event.
The miracle was people showing up.
People kept sending supplies.
Businesses wanted to contribute.
Churches sent volunteers.
People donated food.
Medical professionals volunteered their services.
Musicians came to play.
People who had never met each other worked together.
And when supplies arrived that St. Paul’s couldn't use, Bethany found other organizations that needed them.
This created an enormous network of generosity.

What Happens When a Disaster Ends?

Perhaps the most important part of Bethany's story happens after she leaves New York.
She eventually realizes that she needs to get away from Ground Zero for a day.
She drives to Connecticut and experiences one of the strangest contrasts of her life.
She watches a child's soccer game.
People drink Starbucks.
Families go about their ordinary lives.
She shops for sneakers.
Life looks normal.

But Bethany has just spent weeks surrounded by Ground Zero, first responders, death, destruction, grief, exhaustion, and constant crisis. Listen to this episode to understand how Bethany balanced the world continuing, while so many were still grieving.

What Does Bethany’s Story Teach Us About Human Nature?

At the heart of this episode is a much bigger question:

Are humans naturally selfish, or do people really want to help each other?

Bethany's experience offers powerful evidence for the second possibility.

Again and again, people wanted to contribute.

And these stories, and Bethany's sharing of them, begins to help us understand what is most important in this world-connection, community and showing up for eachother!

Listen to Her Story

If you've ever searched for true stories about 9/11, wondered what happened at Ground Zero after September 11, wanted to understand what it was like to volunteer after 9/11, or wondered how ordinary people responded to an unimaginable tragedy, this episode offers a deeply personal perspective.

Bethany Anne Putnam's story is a record of six weeks at Ground Zero—and a reminder that even in the aftermath of overwhelming tragedy, human beings can choose to show up for one another.

Sometimes the miracle is simply this:

People come.
People help.
People stay.

And sometimes, that is exactly what the world needs.

Questions Answered in This Episode

What was it like to volunteer at Ground Zero after 9/11?

What happened at St. Paul’s Chapel after September 11?

How did volunteers help 9/11 first responders?

What did first responders need after 9/11?

How did ordinary people help after September 11?

Can disaster-relief volunteers develop PTSD?

What is PTSD after a traumatic event?

How did people support firefighters at Ground Zero?

Why was St. Paul’s Chapel important after 9/11?

What happened to volunteers after they left Ground Zero?

Are humans naturally altruistic?

Why do people help strangers during disasters?

What are some inspiring stories from September 11?

How did New Yorkers respond to 9/11?

What can we learn from the people who helped after 9/11?

To check out what Bethany is doing in the world, here is her website!
As well, here is her Instagram, where you can keep track of all of the beauty she is creating in the world!
And to learn about all of the fabulous humans who travel across the globe to stay at Bethany's incredible retreat space, click here!


To hear additional stories of people showing up to help others, in all sorts of ways, click on the links below. There are plenty of miracle stories out there, proving that we always will show up for eachother!

Drew Ayotte's story involves a sweet little pup and showing up at the right time! Sometimes it is our furry and feathered friends we are supposed to show up for! Listen to "The Miracle Of The Magnificent Enzo" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE!

Lyubim Kogan shares an incredible story of being in the right story at the right time. Really, it was astonishing! Listen to "Saying "Yes" One Night Saves A Child's Life" on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

And finally, Mirian Schulman talks about her 9/11 experience and how she responded after the incident. Her psychic impressions truly saved her life. Listen to "Psychic Vibes Before 9/11, How Her Understanding Of Reality Changed," on Apple HERE and Spotify HERE.

To check out what I am doing in the world, click on my website HERE. And my Insta here! And my woefully behind YouTube channel! (I know, I'm trying to get on top of everything!)

Your bit of beauty is this: "Happiness Is Helping Others," a sweet YouTube by Haytham Ibrihim, which is all about how we can be present and a blessing for all those around us!