Focus on our Affiliate Leaders: Beautiful Susan and Bill Van Oije, Shining Light Parents of Greg, Calgary Affiliate Leaders, HPH Newsletter Columnists
Posted
-
- Jul
- 7
- 2024
by Elizabeth Boisson
Bill and Susan Van Oije, Greg playing football, Kristin and Greg
Focus on our Affiliate Leaders:
Beautiful Susan and Bill Van Oije, Shining Light Parents of Greg, Calgary Affiliate Leaders, HPH Newsletter Columnists
I was just saying to Bill the other day: "What would we do without Helping Parents Heal?"
Here we are, just your average couple living a quiet life in Calgary, Canada, and we just happen to be having the most astounding experiences after the passing of our son Greg almost 10 years ago. How would we be able to share our hope and experiences with others if not for Helping Parents Heal?
We soon came to know that there are no coincidences and all unfolds as it should, but when we became snowbirds in Scottsdale, Arizona back in 2010 - four years before our son passed - we had no idea we had landed in what turned out to be ground zero for HPH. After Greg left this Earth at age 27 from the effects of substance use, we discovered HPH when a Calgary friend of ours told us about the writings of medium Suzanne Giesemann, a great friend of HPH.
While wintering in Scottsdale, we attended HPH meetings organized by bright, shining lights Elizabeth Boisson and Carol Allen, and the first HPH conference. We found our community. It's a community of parents who have gone through what most people believe is the most horrific event you can experience in your life, and yet they are shining brightly with the knowledge that our children are still with us, and love never dies.
The fact that our children never leave us was not news to Bill and I when we joined HPH. Very shortly after the passing of our son, something switched on in Bill and he quickly learned he has an ability to see, hear and even touch our son in spirit. This was, to put it mildly, a big surprise for Bill and I, but Bill knows it's because he surrendered to God, our Source and Creator, after Greg passed. He knew that his ego-driven, self-willed self could not deal with the 'loss' of his son on his own.
The night Greg passed, Bill got down on his knees and prayed, "Help me. Help me God." And that's when the miracles started. As Greg has told his Dad, when you surrender and accept all that is, you become "reachable and teachable." And so our education began, as Greg became our loving guide and biggest cheerleader.
Four years ago, after we had sold our place in Scottsdale and were back in Calgary full time, we started the Calgary chapter because we wanted to give back and share with others our hope and experiences. The Calgary chapter is one of only four chapters in Canada, and this is a very big country, so we meet on Zoom to extend our reach. The meetings are open to all members of HPH, and we're very pleased to have regular members and others Zoom in from the U.S. and other parts of the world as well as Canada.
Held the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time (8:30 p.m. Eastern Time), our meetings are a safe place to share signs from our children, our thoughts and feelings, and where we are in our healing journey. We've been told our meetings are uplifting and reassuring, and they bring an enormous amount of joy to Bill and I as well.
From the very beginning, I felt compelled to write down all of our experiences: Bill's incredibly vivid dreams with our son, the astounding signs and synchronicities he sends to us, and in the last seven years, the channeling of the beautiful messages Greg gives his Dad through automatic writing about how to live our best life in this very challenging place. One of Greg's favorite mottos is, "Have faith, trust and believe."
'The Greg Notes', as I call them, have sure come in handy because a little over two years ago, Elizabeth asked us to write a monthly column for the HPH newsletter called 'The Wisdom of Greg' that details our experiences, and the columns also run in the HPH Blog. We're drawing from a very deep well of information, and we're so thankful for the opportunity to spread the good word with proof that our kids are very much alive and with us.
Greg's 10th Angelversary is coming up soon. His Dad, his sister Kristin and I have come so far since that night the police knocked on our door. It's because of our amazing son and his enormous efforts to prove he's still with us that the ragged edges of grief have softened and our eyes and hearts have opened to the infinite wonders of the Universe. Now, with thanks and gratitude to Helping Parents Heal, we can offer that hope to others as well. Much love to you all!
~Susan and Bill Van Oije
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- Wendy Marie Wahl's Validation from Bella and Daniel
- The Wisdom of Greg - Adventures in Automatic Writing