It's a Sign!

By Benita Glickman

Benita Glickman lost her beloved husband of thirty-eight years after a thirteen-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. In It’s a Sign!, she takes you on her grief journey, chronicling the changes in her life since his death.
“Grief doesn’t end in a day or a week or even a year. . . . Grief is weighty and stubborn. It stays with you and lives in you. . .”
Joseph, her late husband, remains a tutelary presence providing wisdom and life lessons through eidetic memories, dreams, and visions from the Other Side.
“. . . It’s good to hear you’re not ready to die. The next step is to want to live. Once you’ve ascertained that, you can begin living more positively, guided by your heart.”
Signs are everywhere, and they hold powerful messages. Some are suggestive; others, intuitive. Many originate in the Universe. Many are sent from beyond the veil.
Join the author as she looks to the Universe and follows her intuition. Consider how signs might provide you with new insight or invite you to walk down a different path.
“It takes time, understanding, strength, and courage to heal. . . . Answers for your survival and growth are within you.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Apr 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781665732642

Benita Glickman

Benita Glickman, a retired language teacher, mentor, and consultant to Brown University is an award-winning poet, short story writer, and grief and spiritual memoirist. Her memoirs Greetings from the Other Side: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Afterlife; Then and Now: Snapshots of My Life; Living Between Two Worlds; On a Path to Spiritual Enlightenment; Spirits Walk Among Us; For the Love of Joseph; and It’s a Sign! are affirmations of love through loss, grief, growth, and healing.

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It’s a Sign!

BENITA GLICKMAN

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Copyright © 2023 Benita Glickman

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Archway Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

844-669-3957

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3263-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3262-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3264-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022920215

Archway Publishing rev. date: 04/12/2023

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I – The Week of the New Moon

I know about the dead

Chapter 1 The New Moon

Chapter 2 Forget-Me-Nots and Marigolds

Chapter 3 A Gripping Sadness

Chapter 4 Charity’s Call

Chapter 5 The Spring Equinox

Visions of Death

Part II – Signs from Joseph

On Sharing

Chapter 6 Signs of Love

Chapter 7 To Us

Chapter 8 Snippets of Visions

Chapter 9 Where Am I?

Chapter 10 Psychic Signs

Nostalgia Unpacked

Part III – Signs from Nature

A Nature Walk in Early Spring

Chapter 11 The Raven

Chapter 12 Cecile and the Woodpecker

Chapter 13 Lynn and the Bee

Chapter 14 Joseph Is a Wolf

Chapter 15 The Raven Returns

Les Feuilles Tombantes (Falling Leaves)

Part IV – Life Goes On

Finding My Way in a Changed World

Chapter 16 The Mourning Doves

Chapter 17 Smishing, Phishing, and Vishing

Chapter 18 A Gift from Joseph

Chapter 19 The Transatlantic Cruise

Chapter 20 ‘I See You, and I Hear You’

Addressing Age and Status

Part V – Joseph’s Spirit

The Stages of Aging

Chapter 21 A Garden of Dandelions

Chapter 22 Joseph Was Special

Chapter 23 Spring-Cleaning

Chapter 24 Dreams of Joseph

Chapter 25 Spotted Lanternflies

The Apartment

Part VI – Messages from the Beyond

Benita

Chapter 26 Lions Gate

Chapter 27 An Angel’s Message

Chapter 28 The Strawberry Moon

Chapter 29 Safe in Your Arms

Chapter 30 Surprise, Surprise

Chapter 31 A Fool’s Journey

Chapter 32 Our Last Goodbye?

Feathers May Fly, but We’ll Never Say Goodbye

Forty-four Thoughts on Grief and Grieving

Song of Grief

Conclusion

Works Cited

Praise for It’s a Sign!

"It’s a Sign! provides great comfort, hope and inspiration, especially in times of loss and grief. This beautifully written memoir is full of heartfelt stories and poetry letting us know that love transcends space and time."

– Sandra Champlain, author of We Don’t Die - A Skeptic’s Discovery of Life After Death

"It’s a Sign! by Benita Glickman, may be the sign you’re looking for, reminding you, as you journey through grief, that your loved one is still with you. It’s a Sign! offers a warm, heartfelt mix of personal stories and poems that express Benita’s journey through grief, and the signs she’s received along the way. The signs are there for us too; all we need to do is look."

– Tara Shannon, artist and author of Rabbit & Bear

Loss doesn’t mean we let go of the one we love—instead we open ourselves to new ways to hold on to their presence in our lives. Benita Glickman’s newest book shows us how to do that through her own experiences embracing the signs and synchronicities that connect her with her husband, Joseph. You can feel the aliveness of their love years after Joseph has passed. The author brings energy and optimism to her storytelling as well as candor about the way in which loss, grief, and finding your way back into your life are in a continual dance.

– Kimberley Pittman-Schulz, author of Grieving Us: A Field Guide for Living With Loss Without Losing Yourself

Benita Glickman ‘knows about the dead.’ She shares her deep experiences in a direct open manner. Her love for her beloved husband, Joseph, leaps off the page in the recollections of the afterlife signs he sends to her. She reminds us to accept these signs from our departed—coins, birds, heart shaped stones, whatever they are, and to believe that they are truly messages from our loved ones. Because these ‘signs’ also help us heal.

– Catherine Gourdier, author of Breathe Cry Breathe

In stories and prose, Benita gently reminds that love never dies and that if we keep our hearts and minds open, we’ll feel, see and hear signs of the ones we miss most dearly: urging us on, giving us strength and always reminding us that we will meet again. It’s a heartfelt hug for anyone who grieves and searches for hope.

– Erin Davis, broadcaster and bestselling author of Mourning Has Broken erindavis.com

"In It’s a Sign! Benita Glickman shows us how being open to seeing and appreciating meaningful signs is continuing to keep her close to her late husband and adding magic and direction to life while she navigates grief. Many people will identify with Benita as she candidly and soulfully shares her highs and lows with us and her circle of friends, finding empathy in the human condition and embracing the spiritual aspects of life."

– Carrie P. Freeman, PhD. Author of The Widow’s Journal: Questions to Guide You through Grief and Life Planning after the Loss of a Partner

"It’s a Sign! is a thought-provoking and insightful exploration of the meaning to be found in both the ordinary and the sublime, and it beautifully illustrates the transcendent power of love."

– Tessa Lynne, author of The Invisible Choir

"It’s a Sign! is a story about how love continues to shine bright even when one crosses over to the other side. This is a real heartfelt love story about Benita receiving signs from her husband, Joseph, the love of her life, who passed in 2018.

I love how Benita acknowledges the signs Joseph sends her and thanks him for sending them. Thank you, Benita, for taking the time to write your story which will in return help so many to identify the signs being sent to them from their loved ones in spirit.

– Maria Verdeschi, psychic medium and author of There Is No Death, Only Life mariaverdeschi.com

Also by Benita Glickman

Greetings from the Other Side: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Afterlife

Then and Now: Snapshots of My Life

Living Between Two Worlds

On a Path to Spiritual Enlightenment

Spirits Walk Among Us

For the Love of Joseph

To Joseph—

For walking alongside me,

guiding me,

and loving me for who I am.

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To my readers—

For choosing this memoir,

as a pleasant read, or

a chapter in your survival guide.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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With deep gratitude and appreciation to the following people—in this world and from the beyond—who unwaveringly supported my efforts and encouraged me to persevere in the completion of this memoir—

Joseph Anthony Larizza—my love, my life, my world—

I’ll never stop talking about you, thinking about you, and loving you. Thank you for always lifting me up, completing me, and giving new meaning to my life. You live within me in all that I do, and all that I am.

my family members—

Bubbe, who provided warm hugs and kisses, taught me about religion, sat me on her lap, and sang liederlach—songs—to me.

my parents, Mark and Esther Glickman, who taught me life lessons, ethics and morality, and believed I’d succeed in every endeavor I undertook.

Bambina, my puppy and constant companion, who ran in the park, climbed mountains, rested her head on my lap, and saved me from a gas leak.

my friends—

Eva, who’s consistently helpful and always there for me.

Cecile Hall, my travel companion, whose encouraging message came through loud and clear, Write another book.

Pat Rogoff, who patiently awaits the publication of each new book, and who so aptly has chosen the title for this one.

Marla Toscano, who praised my writing before it was ever published.

Jerry Josephberg, who touts my talents, is always happy to hear my voice, and ends all our conversations with hope, faith, and courage.

the professionals—

Susan Cohn, my social worker, who cheers me on, on rainy days.

Terri-Lynne De Fino, my editor, who finds the good in everything I write, even if I think it’s missing the mark.

authors who provided testimonials—

Sandra Champlain; Erin Davis; Carrie P. Freeman, PhD; Catherine Gourdier; Tessa Lynne; Kimberley Pittman-Schulz; Tara Shannon; and Maria Verdeschi.

Each of you has played a significant role in bringing this book to life, and I am eternally grateful.

INTRODUCTION

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My friend, Eva, and I were planning a trip to the cemetery to plant seeds at Joseph’s grave. While discussing the matter, we happened upon packets of precisely the seeds I intended to buy—for the taking—on a table in the lobby of my building.