Meeting Jena; three years in the making

Another amazing Jena story that proves, yet again, that there are #NoCoincidences

Since 2007, Marc and I have ventured out on our annual Jena Adventure to escape our self-proclaimed Hell Week. Our ‘hell week’ is the time between Thanksgiving and December 4th; between Jena’s last holiday with us before her lungs collapsed, and the day she returned to God, solidifying my permanent grief.

(If you’re new to our ‘Jena Adventure’ here’s a prior blog: Just Thursday-The holiday formerly known as Thanksgiving)

Now, back to the story.

The date is December 4, 2014, and I awoke in Savannah ready for the waves of emotion that usually flood my heart.
It had been 8 years since Jena ‘moved up’ to heaven and though most days I’m fine, December 4th is the day I allow myself to be anything I need to be, and fine doesn’t ever come close.

But this December 4th was different.

At breakfast, I told Marc, “I know Jena’s spirit’s alive in my heart, and I really feel we need to see the sunset over the ocean and toast our Jena, along with the beauty that is life, and the fact that love never ends.”

Within ten minutes we were in the car in search of the perfect ocean sunset.
Six hours later we checked into a hotel at 4:42 pm, just in time for a spectacular sunset.

Upon walking into the hotel room, I could feel Jena all around me. I must admit, I lost it. On my knees, a pity-party for one, a crying mess because though I can feel her all around me, I know I can never hug, kiss, or see my daughter ever again in this lifetime. I was a basket case, to say the least. But I pulled it together enough to watch the most magnificent sunset and toast the beauty of life while knowing Jena remains alive and well in my heart and soul.

I felt at peace that night looking out into the sunset as if Jena had personally led us there.

In 2015, we decided to bypass the Jena Adventure and just stay at this particular hotel that brought me so much peace.

On December 4, 2015, while watching the sunset upon the horizon, I turned to Marc with tears in my eyes and said, “I’m going to spend the winter here.”
He looked at me like I’d lost my mind and told me, “There’s no way that’s going to happen.”
I looked back at him and said, “We’ll see what Jena has to say about that; I trust the Universe.”

The very next day we happened to meet a realtor who informed us that a condo owner in the building was renting the month of January at a discounted price. We looked at condo and my heart melted. The condo number was 303 and the price was perfect. Marc, surprising even himself, said, “We’ll take it.”

We have rented that unit every January and February since because there’s such a sense of my daughter there. It’s where I wrote See You at Sunset, it’s where my soul feels most at peace, it’s unit number is 303 and that’s as close to Jena’s birthday of 3/13 as I can get. (There is no unit 313) I know that’s a sign from my Jena; she made it happen.

Fast forward to now, January 2018.

Thanks to the whole ‘bombgenesis’ and Frozen America, even Florida is unseasonably frigid. Temperatures are a high of 46 and the heat isn’t working in the condo. I call the rental property manager and they inform me a repair tech will be there in the morning.

Within minutes, I get a phone call from the owner. She kindly asks if I would like a space heater while I wait for the heat to be repaired. I tell her it’s really not a problem, the condo is comfortable enough with a light jacket and the occasional running of the oven. Since Marc and I have always dealt with the property manager, and never knew or spoke to the condo owner, I asked her if I can quickly share how meaningful renting her condo is to us. She listens as I sum up Jena, the adventure, and the connection to her beautiful condo.

Her response?

She tells me her name is J-E-N-A. Yes, spelled exactly like my daughter.  Her name is Jena. She then adds, “My mother’s birthday is 3/13.”

#LoveNeverEnds
#NoCoincidences
#LoveFromAbove