Where do dead people go? They ride through the universe on a red and silver chrome Harley - no helmet, with a black dog and a skunk as travel mates, eating all the Kentucky Fried Chicken they want. They roar in to check on loved ones, exciting the physical world puppy and leaving a trail of peace and well-being as only hugs and love from spirit can do.

At least, this is what my dad is doing.

The expiration of the physical body is not the end, but a continuation of the beginning - a continuation of the spiritual growth of the spirit. It's a change in the blink of an eye from physically breathing in the human body to experiencing complete freedom of movement, knowing, understanding and love as a spirit.

As humanoids living on the physical planet Earth, we learn to fear death. What is it? What happens? Is death all there is, or does the spirit continue to live? In not knowing, fear arises - fear of the unknown.

When the physical body ceases to breathe and the heart stops, the etheric cord is severed and the spirit leaves the body for the final time. The soul/spirit is met by angels, spirit guides and previously deceased loved ones to help them transition home to the spirit world of the angelic realm. No one is alone. We say that we come into this world alone and we leave it the same way - alone. This simply isn't true. Because we can't see the angels, guides and loved ones who help the spirit transition, that doesn't mean they aren't there.

As children of technology, we trust that when we put our coffee in the microwave, close the door, push a few buttons and open the door when we hear the beep, the coffee is going to be hot. We push the numbers on a cell phone, hold it to our ear, listen for the signal of ringing and expect someone to begin speaking. Can we "see" these things? If we traveled back to the 1700's with our microwave and cell phone, how would we be perceived?

Our transition home ignites a love celebration of such a magnitude that our mere human minds cannot comprehend it. If we think of the most amazing love-filled experience in our human lives, it doesn't even come close to the love of the angelic realm - of God.

Fear can and does spoil events and situations for us. To reach a place of understanding and allowance will alleviate fear and anxiety and give us peace. In my dad's case, he had a grip on death. Three days before he was scheduled for open heart surgery, we had a phone chat about that. (We lived a thousand miles apart).

It was Friday morning, October 28, 2005. We discussed things going on in his life, his friends, my mom, my brothers and his Harley. If the weather was warm enough, he was going to ride his Harley that afternoon and Saturday and Sunday as well. On Monday, he was scheduled to check into the hospital for his surgery, and he wouldn't be able to ride the bike for a while, so he needed to make good use of his time between now and then. Daddy was 70.

As we chatted, we discussed my work, and I brought up communicating with deceased loved ones and angels. Daddy always listened, and would sometimes comment that I always was different. On this day, he told me that anyone who would believe in "Stargate" (a TV program) like he did should be able to get to where I am in my beliefs - but he just couldn't quite do it. I suggested perhaps he is actually an alien, and this cracked him up. It was then that he shared with me the following spiritual encounter.

Twelve years before, he had a heart attack and the doctors performed angioplasty. While under anesthesia, he said he found himself in a hallway. In the hallway were two doors: one was the door of death, and one was the door of life. Behind the door of death he was being contacted by beings who told him that if he chose the door of death, he would find things more wonderful than he could imagine. He told me he didn't feel afraid, that it was quite comforting and peaceful. The beings on the other side of the door of death were quite insistent that he would be very happy should he choose to come through their door. He, however, chose the door of life. Because of this experience, Daddy told me he wasn't afraid of death.

I knew then that if Daddy found out they have Harleys in heaven, he'd be out of here!

I sent out emails to my spiritual friends, asking them to keep my dad in their prayers during his surgery and recovery. One of them shared with me that open heart surgery statistics are very encouraging - only two percent of patients don't make it. All my spiritual friends felt my dad was going to be "fine."

October 31, 2005, started out like any other Monday. About eleven o'clock my time, I called my mom. She and my brother had just been told that everything was going great in the surgery, so they were getting some lunch. A few hours later mom called. She was panic stricken - there was something wrong. The surgery was over and everything had gone well, but Daddy wasn't responding. The doctors were trying to save his life. She would call me back.

I was a thousand miles away. What could I do?

I called Adele. Adele is a metaphysical teacher who has become my spiritual mentor. Our relationship is proof that there are no coincidences. Her guides told her earlier in the year to contact me to build her website - that I could help her. I built her site, and she has helped me part the veil - clear my communication with Spirit - identify more clearly who I am and my divine life path by looking within myself.

When Adele answered the phone, I explained to her what was happening. She asked for my dad's full name, for she was going to try to connect with him. I waited patiently. With the help of her guides, she made the connection. She asked me if my dad was in the military. I told her yes. She said he was explaining to her that the problem was a "cross over," like when you're in the military and orders get "crossed over." She explained that there was cramping on his left side, near the arm pit. She assured me my dad wasn't feeling this. He kept telling her that he was "fine."

Then she told me to hang up the phone and meditate. Adele wanted me to try to connect with my dad, and she would call me back. I hung up the phone and as I sat there, my brain flipped over. How was I going to connect with my dad in surgery a thousand miles away? This was no time to be skeptical of my abilities - I needed to act! I began to meditate, and immediately - amazingly - I connected with my dad. He was waiting for me. In fact, he had told Adele to send me.

It was as if I was over the operating room. I could see and feel the sterility of the room; it wasn't gory or scary. My main focus was on my dad's spirit - not his body or what the doctors were doing. My dad was ecstatic to be free of his physical body - he was FREE! But he was annoyed that the doctors weren't seeing what the problem was. He wasn't angry, just annoyed - my dad had his own unique way of being annoyed. He explained the cross over to me. A few weeks before, he had added some new lights to his Harley and the wiring diagram was wrong. It took a long time for him to get the "cross over" of the wires straightened out. He was using this example to explain the "cross over" situation to me - it was something I was familiar with. Then I heard a flat line. I was so hoping they were just working on him.

These few minutes with my dad were precious.

Adele called me back, and I shared with her what had happened. Adele asked her guides if Daddy was going to make it. She asked them in several different ways in order to be clear. Then she asked me if I knew he may not decide to stay. I understood this. As she examined the functionality of his physical body, she discovered there seemed to be some paralysis. I knew then that if my dad couldn't ride his Harley, he would not opt to stay in the physical world.

Just before it got dark, my mom called. Daddy didn't make it.

I already knew this in my heart to be the reality of this day.

I called Adele back. Archangel Michael and Archangel Raphael were with my dad as he transitioned home. When he asked them if he could ride his Harley in the transition and they said yes, his decision was made! With Archangel Michael and Archangel Raphael at his side, my dad rode his Harley into the light of God.

He was indeed better than "fine."

Being the spiritual person I am, I knew then and I know now that my dad is in a much, much better place. Being a humanoid, I feel the loss of his earthly body expiring, so back here in the physical world, shock set in.

It was Halloween. My dad has such a sense of humor; he transitioned home on Halloween. As it grew dark, I sat there at my desk in my office, crying and pondering and thinking and rejoicing in the experience of his transition. Imagine - to ride into the light of God on a Harley with Archangel Michael and Archangel Raphael at your side - what an honor! What an experience! The love I felt was more awe-inspiring than words can describe - there simply are no earthly words. What a blessed gift I had experienced with my dad through Adele and her guides!

Just before my mom called to tell me that my dad had passed, my significant other, Fred, had left to buy candy for trick-or-treaters. My daughter was Halloweening with a girlfriend, and I didn't want to tell her until she got home. I was alone in the house with Majik, my four-month-old poodle puppy.

Majik was so sweet. He sat with me as I digested all that had happened. As the sun disappeared behind the mountains, darkness began to creep down the hallway toward my office. The invasion of the retiring day was halted by the light over my desk. Without warning, Majik jumped up and marched to the door. As he stood there in the open doorway, peering into the darkened hallway, he growled. He was now Protector Dog, showing his intention to protect me by growling for the first time in his young life.

I knew my dad was there.

I went into the hallway with Majik and whispered reverently, quietly, "Daddy?" It sounded so loud in the dark house. I wanted desperately to see him standing there in the hallway, yet I was afraid if I did, it would freak me out. I sat down on the floor in the dark with Majik and waited for Fred to come home.

Somehow we all got through the evening. Fred and Majik gave out Halloween candy, and I watched. Majik really enjoyed the children - we all did. It came time to pick up Jesse and I did. It was so hard to tell her Daddy had transitioned home. The evening was surreal.

When tragedies/traumas affect our lives, we find release and relief in sleep. For a short time our bodies rest and our minds release the pain for the tranquility of slumber. Upon waking in the middle of the night, it takes a moment or two for the sadness of reality to come back to us. In those few moments, those fleeting seconds - all is well. Then the remembrance of our pain fills our mind and floods our body. Yet I woke during the night and this didn't happen. I remembered my dad had crossed over, but I didn't feel those choking emotions of loss. What was this?

Then I heard what woke me up. I was hearing Barbara Mark reading me the Post Script from the Other Side for the newest Angelspeake newsletter. She had channeled Rosa Parks, and Rosa had explained how beautiful all the colors are on the other side. Rosa's words kept repeating over and over in my head about how incredibly beautiful the colors are in heaven. As if in a slow motion movie, I heard Rosa's words, and was able to see the most vivid, beautiful, amazing colors. It was then that I realized this was a "direct message" from my dad - for you see, Daddy had glaucoma and hadn't seen true colors for a very long time. He had explained to me that at one point, everything was the same color. Now he was "seeing" everything and experiencing color! He was so incredibly happy! I could feel his elation, his joy. I was grateful and went back to sleep.

The next morning when I woke, the events of the previous day came rushing back, as did the visit of color during the night. But surprisingly, the pain I expected to feel simply did not manifest. Was I in denial? Shock? Or were my spiritual beliefs protecting me? As I dressed, I clearly heard my dad say in his charming, teasing way, "You've put on weight!" I was definitely shocked now. It was such a personal comment, but it was so like him. I responded, "Well, yeah - I'm 45."

The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him - many times because he sends me a direct message. Daddy was my hero spider killer, so in the days right after his transition, many, many spiders came by to say hi. Harleys showed up at the most synchronistic times. He visits in dreams and meditations, and sometimes, he just visits.

*In a phone call to Adele, she said I knew you were going to call - your dad was here today, riding around me on his motorcycle. I asked her if there are animals with him when she sees him. She told me to wait, then said, "There's definitely a dog." Then she started to laugh and asked, "Does he have a monkey?" I laughed too and told her to look closer. My dad had a skunk (saved from certain death as a tiny baby and raised with great love) that sat on his shoulder as he watched TV. Two beloved pets of Daddy's who crossed before him, Snuggles the dog and Alvin the skunk, travel with him. They were reunited on the other side, for love never dies - not even with pets.

*Early one morning as I was driving to Colorado Springs, I had the thought, "I should call my dad." Duh - that hurt. The physical side of me began to cry. I pulled off the highway to get something to eat and turned the John Denver CD down while between sniffles I gave my food order. When I pulled away from the window, I turned up the stereo, and John Denver was singing, "Lady, are you crying? Do the tears belong to me? Do you think our time together is all gone?..." In my mind's eye, I saw my dad and John Denver slapping each other on the back and doing that man bonding hand shake hug - very happy with themselves at sending me such a vivid, indisputable message! I had to laugh.

*My dryer was taking way too long to dry my clothes, so I went in search of the manual to find the model number for the heating element. As I searched through my archive of manuals going back as far as 1978, I found a file entitled: Letters. Then I remembered: I have letters from my dad! With great excitement, I pulled out the file and opened it. The letter on top was indeed from him, and post marked August 12, 1998. With reverence, I slowly pulled out the neatly creased paper and unfolded it. The words he wrote years ago were much more powerful today: "Just a line to let you know I'm still here."

Continued connection with loved ones who have crossed over is possible. They will do all they can to let us know that they are okay and still with us. It's up to us to have the eyes, ears and knowing to understand, accept and validate the connection. It's up to us to cast aside the conditioning of the physical world and allow ourselves to enjoy the wisdom of spirit. Peace, comfort and love can be found in spiritual wisdom. The more we acknowledge their presence, the more our loved ones in Spirit will do to let us know they are around.

May you accept, acknowledge and allow love to live.