Michelle Arrose: A Teacher's Journey to Literary Success: Is There Life After Death?

Michelle Arrose: A Teacher's Journey to Literary Success: Is There Life After Death?: We often find ourselves pondering the answers to questions that are unknown.  This question has repeated itself over and over again.  Is t...

Is There Life After Death?

We often find ourselves pondering the answers to questions that are unknown.  This question has repeated itself over and over again.  Is there life after death?  I know this can be a morbid topic, but an interesting one.  Many people I know do not believe in the after life.  I have been skeptic as well.  However, I have had my odd encounters that are just unexplainable.  For example, a camera we have in our home picked up a shadow of a man walking that looked much like my deceased grandfather.  The baby was home with a new unexperienced babysitter.  Was it my grandfather watching and protecting in his own way or was it a shadow from outside reflecting upon the wall?  My husband who is a skeptic was freaked out by this video the camera picked up.

Sometimes, late at night I hear a woman humming downstairs.  I tell myself that it is my imagination.  I never check it out as it is a faint distant humming sound in the night.  To see the unknown is ten times scarier than to imagine it.  Many years ago I went to a psychic for fun.  She told me that I have a gift to see the unknown.  I laughed at her and told her that I definitely choose not to see it.  However, unfortunately after my grandparents died,  I felt a slight touch on my arm, hand leg, or somewhere just as they were passing.  I did not know it at the time, but always had an eerie feeling when I felt their touch. After my grandmother had passed whom I was very close with, I asked out loud that I never want to feel it again.  Thankfully, the touch has stopped. 

I am sure that as you are reading this blog, you might be thinking, "what a nut job.  I don't believe it."  If it were me reading it, I may think the same way.  I think we each have the ability to see things if we choose to.  If we don't want to and block ourselves from seeing, then that is our right.  I, personally do believe in the unknown.  However, they call it unknown for a reason.  My uncle has had many dreams of his father visiting him after he passed, telling him messages.  One message was when my grandfather showed him a closet that he should open.  When my uncle woke up, he opened the closet and found money that my grandfather wanted my grandmother to have. 

I do believe our relatives watch over us from afar.  Recently, I had a vision of my friend who passed a few years ago.  She was standing at the bottom of her steps smiling as if she were saying hello.  I never went to her home, but told one of my friends about my vision.  The way I described the place she was standing sounded like her home to my friend who did visit her many times. 

Recently I became engrossed in the show, Twin Peaks about a girl Laura Palmer who was killed.  Detective Cooper played by Kyle Mac Lachlan is sent to Twin Peaks in order to solve who murdered Ms. Palmer.  It seems that he has the gift and is able to get supernatural messages from Laura.  One night Detective Cooper has a dream where Laura speaks to him in a cryptic manner saying that she feels she knows Laura and sometimes her arms bend back.   Have you ever dreamt of a relative that has passed?  It is ingenious the way David Lynch, the producer/director painted this picture so realistic where the deceased is not able to fully have a conversation, but yet they are their to guide and express their view in a subliminal way.  I believe this to be true.  Years ago, one of my grandmother's came to me in a dream and told me that

I was going to marry an individual.  I believed her message and did not realize that in my dream she appeared to look very frail, unhappy, and her message was delivered in a woeful manner.  I ignored her message and thought when I met this person, I had to be with him.  Despite his sociopathic tendencies, I told myself he must be for me since my grandmother came to me from the grave and told me so.  It took me a long time to realize that she was not advising me to be with him, but rather warning me not be with him. 

If you believe or choose not to believe in the supernatural unknown world, then that is your choice.  However, if  you have a dream from a relative that is no longer with you, listen carefully to their cryptic, mysterious words as maybe you are being blessed with a gift  that you have been given.  They maybe sending you an important message or just letting you know that they are still there for you.   We don't know the true meaning of the universe and its uncertainty.  However, there is nothing wrong in wondering and believing.  Sometimes knowing the loss of a loved one makes it easier to believe that they are out there guiding and protecting you in your life.

Perfection iIs A Difficult Task

Writing can be extremely difficult.  I have written many times.  You must edit with a fine tooth and comb.  After publishing, I noticed that I may have omitted a word which destroyed the sentence.  I'm sure all writers are guilty of this.  I am working on a new novel based on the Holocaust.  This is one that is going to take me a long time to complete.  I definitely do not want to make careless mistakes; especially when writing about an important topic.   I am also finding it challenging to write it and be historically accurate.  I am also contemplating if I should make it into a novella or a novel.  I have many decisions to make.  Once I am in the middle of writing it, I have a difficult time stopping, but it takes me a while to start.  I excel at procrastination.  I will keep you posted on this difficult journey.  If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment.  I always open to suggestions.   

Rock and Soul: The Advertisement

Recently I published on Amazon a short story titled: Rock and Soul.  I am selling it for .99.  The story depicts the life of a rock.  This rock is found in the middle of an enchanted fairytale kingdom.  All of the infamous characters such as Cinderella, Repunzel, Pinoccio, as well as the little old woman who lived in a shoe, and much more come to life.  They are affected by the rock just as the rock us affected by each encounter he has with each fairytale character.  If you like a whimsical tale that has never been told through a rock, then read "Rock and Soul." I'll leave it up to you: do you believe an inanimate object can possibly have a soul?  Please feel free to review.  I would love to get feedback.
https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Soul-Michele-Arrose-ebook/dp/B06XB1RBZK/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490750612&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Michele+Arrose+review

Mishpatim

A few weeks ago a woman from my temple asked me to write a D'var Torah.  This is a speech that has meaning and is usually done by someone in the congregation rather than the rabbi.  The speech must explain the part that is discussed in the Torah and usually should teach members of the congregation leaving them enriched with a new found insight or understanding.  I was asked to discuss the topic Mishpatim. The congregants enjoyed listening to my speech and my husband encouraged me to post it on my blog.
The way I understand Mishpatim is that it is basically laws set up from Hashem (G-d) so that we are fair to ourselves and to our neighbors.  As an educator, I have to set up my own laws or rules.  Without them, my classroom would be full of chaos.  Mishpatim concludes with the promise from  G-d to lead us into the land of Israel on one condition, that we hold the Torah ( Jewish bible) and do mitzvahs (good deeds). One thing we definitely need in this world is order.  We need order especially when lately we are surrounded by hate.  Many people I know have recently faced anti-semnitism.  However, as Anne Frank once said, "I do believe in spite of everything that people are really good at heart." I agree with Ms. Frank, but unfortunately I definitely feel evil is amongst people as well.  Lately many people expressed anger and hatred toward people in the political world.  I am not going to mention the infamous names that we hear about in the current media.  However, when G-d gave us rules, I think that he expects us to try to look past and be a fair person no matter what..  If we don't agree with someone's philosophies or political views then that is ok. We have the right as human beings to believe in whatever we want to.  That is what makes us real.  However, we owe it to ourselves to not promote hate in this beautiful but scary world that we live in. We must realize that laws gives us order. Order gives us structure. Structure gives us a sense of belonging and that in turn gives us peace.
Thank you for reading my speech and I hope you found it insightful.