Window Of The Soul

Even though loved ones may pass on, they can still communicate spiritually with us through various ways: people, places, symbols, memories. Recently, when my late grandmother, or Mama as I called her, wanted to reach me, she chose curtains!

These weren’t just any set of drapes. No, these were original, one-of-a-kind, labor-of-love window treatments that my grandmother actually stitched together for me! Back in the late 1990s, I’d recently moved into a new home. Decorating the house with various pieces of furniture was relatively easy, but the domicile’s tall windows needed a special touch. Inspiration came from the cover of a magazine (I think it was House Beautiful) which showcased cascading curtains that looked as if they were stained glass, allowing beams of colorful light to enter a room.

I recall showing the magazine to Mama, a gifted southern cook and seamstress, and asked if she could possibly make the drapes. “I’d love to,” she smiled.

There were considerable hurdles: the curtains were to be constructed piece-by-piece of individual rectangles of complementing hues. And, the fabric was acetate, a delicate, silk-like material that had to be handled gingerly in order to avoid fraying. Yet, two weeks later, my grandmother’s gift of love arrived. Over the years, they would find a place over windows in two homes in Atlanta and at the one in which I resided in Louisville.

However, when I moved to California in 2009, the curtains didn’t gel with the mid-century vibe of Palm Springs. So, unfortunately, they stayed packed away securely in a storage bin…until two weeks ago!

While visiting my mother last month in Alabama for Thanksgiving, my late grandmother’s spirit came to me. She intuitively showed me my sister Tracy’s new home (she’d recently relocated back to our hometown). “You’re showing me Tracy’s new house,” I acknowledged. Then, my soul expanded beyond words as Mama revealed the unique curtains she’d made for me!

I knew what she wanted to communicate; I received her message loud and clear: “It’s time for Tracy to have the curtains now.”

The next morning before breakfast, I shared the spiritual visit and message with my mother. She stopped right in the middle of making her trademark tomato gravy and said, “Wow! Just last week your sister was saying how much she’d love to have those curtains that Mama made for you!”

So, today, those “stained glass” curtains now hang in a new residence, bringing a reverent reminder that a loved one’s spiritual energy can open the window to our soul.

Love and light,

Tony

My late grandmother made these “stained glass” curtains for me.