Surrendering Spirit

Chapter 1

My Darling Anastasia,

My time upon my precious Mother Earth is drawing near. Before I go, there are things that must be said. Things that you NEED to know.

Anastasia, I have loved you from the moment I knew of your conception and before. You are the child of my dreams.

Remember how as a little girl you and I would walk in the garden and talk about the flowers and how each Autumn, you were saddened by them dying? And how I always told you that you would one day understand that they never really die, instead they lie underground waiting to be reborn in the spring?

Anastasia, your name means one who will rise again. Remember that. Believe that. Believe there is a purpose for living and for dying and that death of the body is not death of the soul.

You know that in my will I left my house to you and all your cousins. If you would do one last thing for your loving Grandmother, Anastasia? Go to my home and take care of it for me for a little while. Look through it and take what you need to remember. Stay as long as you need to Anastasia. Stay as long as you can. If you need anything, just call on Ahren.

And Anastasia, remember that I am always with you. Do not be saddened by my death, for it is not the end, but only the beginning. I am waiting to be reborn.

As Always I Remain,

Your Loving Grandmother.

A solitary tear roll down Anastasia's cheek as she read the letter from her beloved grandmother. She missed her so. It had only been a month since she had passed, but it felt like an eternity. There were so many things she wanted to ask her. So many things she needed to say and now it was too late.

Her grandmother, the only one who always knew what she was thinking, what she was feeling. The only one who ever believed her when she said that sometimes she knew things were going to happen before they actually did. Her parents just blew her off, didn't listen to her, still treated her like a child. Her friends laughed at her, but not her grandmother. She always believed. And now the woman whose loving arms Anastasia would never feel again around her was gone and she had no one who understood. And what hurt almost more than anything, she didn't even get to say goodbye.

Grandmother left specific instructions that there was to be no funeral, no memorial service. All she wanted was to be cremated and her ashes spread upon her land by her three children, alone. And they did. Alone.

None of the grandchildren knew what happened that day, their parents wouldn't talk about it. They only knew that they weren't allowed to be there per their grandmothers last wishes.

Anastasia always meant to make more time for Rhiannon, but life seemed to get in the way and now she would never have that chance again. Or would she?

What if Grandmother was right? What if she is still with me?

"Grandmother?" she asked of the room.

"I am right beside you my child. I am here," whispered the wind.

It was at that moment Anastasia knew she would be okay and she also knew what had to be done. She made a checklist of all the things she needed to take care of before she could leave for her grandmothers home.

Scratch that. My home.

First, she called her parents.

"Hello?" both parents answered at the same time.