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January 13, 2025 12 mins

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This episode explores the theme of new beginnings, showcasing personal stories that highlight the guiding signs from loved ones after loss. Each story  emphasizes the importance of embracing change, seeking community, and connecting past memories to future possibilities. 


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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Thank you so much for joining us.

(00:30):
Hello everyone and welcome backto CC Airwaves.
My name is Paige Matillo and Iam here with my co-host, joel
Hansel.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Hey Paige.
Happy new year.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Happy new year, Joel.
It's a great start to 2025, I'dsay.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
If you say so.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
I definitely say so because I'm here with you.
We're happy, we're healthy andwe're recording a brand new
episode of CC Airwaves and we'recold.
And we're cold.
Yes, the weather outside, it iscold outside.
It is frightful, but luckily wewere able to drive to work
safely, so can't ask for muchmore than that, except for warm

(01:07):
weather.
Today we have a bunch ofstories prepared for you all
about new beginnings, since it'sthe new year, so I will start
us off with the first story.
This story was submitted byRyan K.
I had been struggling formonths about whether to quit my

(01:28):
job.
It was a stable job and I wasgood at it, but I wasn't happy.
The days dragged on and thework didn't fulfill me, and I
often found myself daydreamingabout what other opportunities
might be out there.
Still, the fear of the unknownheld me back.
What if I couldn't findsomething better?
What if I regretted leaving?
Then an unexpected sign came itwas the anniversary of my Uncle

(01:51):
Mike's death, a man who alwaysencouraged me to follow my
dreams.
He didn't go to college, butfollowed his dream and started
his own business.
That morning, when I was at mydesk feeling unsure again, I
found something surprising Aworn business card between the
pages of my notebook.
It was my Uncle Mike's businesscard, which I hadn't seen in

(02:12):
years.
How'd it get there?
I had used the notebook tostore notes in college, but
cleaned it out before I startedmy job.
It was as if he was right there, pushing me to take a chance
for my own happiness.
Finding the card felt like aclear message from my Uncle Mike
, telling me not to stay stuckin fear but to embrace change.
With that push, my decision wasclear it was time to leave and

(02:35):
find work that made me feelalive and happy.
I quit my job that week andstarted reaching out to
industries I'd always beeninterested in.
Quitting was scary butthrilling.
Starting this new chapter, Ifelt guided by my uncle's spirit
.
Thanks to him, I took that leaptowards a fresh start and
haven't looked back.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
It's a nice story.
I think it's a very typicalstory.
You get somebody that's look,it's always hard to face the
unknown.
Yeah, and to take a leap, takea chance.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Especially when you're comfortable in your
current situation andeverything's going well.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
And it just takes.
You got to work up some courageto do it, and Uncle Mike, Gave
him that push, gave him the pushthat he needed.
Gave him the confidence.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
And I'm hoping that Ryan was able to find a job that
fulfilled his passion,especially, you know, at the
beginning of the year.
So, Ryan, best of luck to you.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
Story number two was submitted by Daphne V.
When I was young, my grandpawould babysit me while my
parents worked and I alwaysasked him to play my favorite
movie, princess and the Frog.
My parents worked and I alwaysasked him to play my favorite
movie, princess and the Frog,without any hesitation.
He'd play it for us and we'dhappily watch it over and over,

(03:56):
singing songs and acting out thefunny scenes together.
There was one part where acharacter talks about his love
being the brightest star in thesky, and it always made me cry,
even though I believed that we'dgo to heaven when we die.
The idea that our loved onescould watch over us like stars
was a comforting thought.
Last year was tough.
In the first few months of thenew year, my grandpa passed away
.
I also faced personal setbacksand saw close relationships fall

(04:21):
apart.
I wasn't in any mood tocelebrate the holidays, much
less welcome another year, so Idecided to spend New Year's Eve
alone at home, standing on mybalcony, while ignoring texts
from friends urging me to comeout, looking up in the sky.
I desperately hoped for a signthat things would get better.
Just then, a shooting starblazed across the sky.

(04:45):
I'd never seen one before andhad always been skeptical about
such things.
But in that moment I felt itwas a sign meant for me, a sign
to start fresh, and New Year'sEve was the perfect opportunity.
And New Year's Eve was theperfect opportunity Inspired.
I quickly got ready and joinedmy friends downtown to ring in
the new year, surrounded bypeople I loved.

(05:06):
I was reminded of how importantit is to live fully.
A few people have told me itwas probably a plane or a drone
in the sky, but I am stillconvinced it was a shooting star
.
Now I'm genuinely excited tosee what the future holds.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Have you ever seen Princess and a Frog?
No, no, it's a great movieWould highly recommend.
I think everyone kind of knowsthe story of Princess and the
Frog.
You know, the prince is thefrog.
She kisses him.
In this Disney movie there'skind of a twist where the
princess she's not really aprincess, she becomes a frog too
, and they go on this adventureand I remember that storyline.

(05:43):
The star, because it's afirefly, and he's in love with
the brightest star in the skyand he says that it's Evangeline
.
And then, you know, when hepasses away, a star appears
right next to the star that hesaid was the love of his life.
That was Evangeline.
So they become the twobrightest stars in the sky
together.
So I love that story, I lovethe whole movie and I love this

(06:08):
story from Daphne.
I do think that you know theshooting star in the sky was a
sign from her grandpa.
You know, everything's okay.
Go out there, don't stay home,don't wallow in grief.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
Go out, spend time with your friends, live life to
the fullest, I think we've allhad in life a year where you
just you were glad to see theyear end you just get beaten
down.
You know just so much happens inthat particular calendar year.
That new year's eve comes and,uh, you don't want to watch the

(06:44):
retrospectives or anything, youjust want to.
You know what.
Let's just get to tomorrow, bea new year, say goodbye to this
year.
It was bad, I don't want toremember it.
Let's, let's move on to, yeah,um, the hope and the promise
that a new year does provide.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
So do you believe that new years are fresh starts
for us?
Because I know some peopledon't.

Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well, I had one of those years.
2024 was not a great year, so Iwas kind of glad to see the end
of it and to have this newstart.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
Hopefully.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Hopefully.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
You hope that it's a better year.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
I know it'll be a better year, joel.
Well thanks.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
Paige.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
For all of us here.
This next story was submittedby Katrina T.
Ever since I moved to the city,I felt swallowed up by the size
, really missing the close-knitfeelings of home.
Then, on a particular lonelySunday, as I roamed the city
without much direction, I foundmyself in front of an old church

(07:48):
.
It was squeezed betweenbuildings and didn't really
stand out, but something aboutit pulled me inside.
The inside of the church was aquiet escape from the noisy city
.
As I sat down in one of theback pews, the smell of incense
brought back memories ofspending time with my grandma.
My eyes were drawn to a stainedglass window above the altar,
beautifully illustrating theannunciation in vibrant blues

(08:10):
and golds.
Grandma adored this story,always saying how life's
unexpected moments can opendoors to fresh starts.
As I sat there, I felt acomforting warmth, almost as if
my grandma had placed her handon my shoulder, guiding me to
this very spot.
It was as if she was showing mewhere I could find a bit of
peace and maybe even belong inthis city.

(08:31):
That feeling gave me the push Ineeded.
I began attending servicesregularly and gradually becoming
part of the community.
Reflecting on it now, I'm surethat finding the church was no
coincidence, but a message frommy grandma, giving me a gentle
push to help me navigate my newlife.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Yeah, you just needed a place to belong.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
A sense of community.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
Especially when moving to a new city.
You move to a new city.

Speaker 2 (08:57):
you don't know anybody and I don't think it
matters what the size of thecity is.
You know it could be like a NewYork City.

Speaker 1 (09:05):
It could be Cleveland Canton, you know Um.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
It's unfamiliar and that can be scary and
frightening lead to someparalysis, I'm sure, and you
just need to find a place whereyou kind of belong and fit in
and then from there you start tofeel less anxious about the

(09:31):
move.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
And church is a great place to find those people and
find that community that youwant to belong with.
And it seems like her grandmaleading her there was the sign
that she needed that you knowthis could be the place that she
belonged, this could be theplace where she could build a
community around her thatsupports her and builds her up.
So I truly believe that she wasled there.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Final story was submitted by Sammy C.
I got the news I was pregnantshortly after I lost my mother.
It came as a shock, as I hadbeen trying for years without
success.
Months passed, and my baby'sdue date coincided with what
would have been my mother'sbirthday.
It seemed perfect to be a merecoincidence, so it had to be a

(10:15):
sign.
When the day arrived, so didthe baby, a little girl.
We named her Anna after theincredible woman whose legacy
she was continuing.
Anna grew, so did the signs ofmy mother's presence.
Baby Anna brought us back tolife, knitting our family close
again, just as my mother hadalways done.
Knitting our family close again, just as my mother had always

(10:36):
done.
Her arrival, marked by signsand symbols of mom's enduring
watch over us, reminded everyonethat, even in loss, there is a
continuation of love, a newbeginning waiting to unfold.
It was our message from heaven,telling us that love never
truly leaves.
It only transforms, guiding usfrom one chapter to the next.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
I feel like whenever a baby is born in a family that
has experienced such loss, itjust always is so healing.
I feel like that's somethingthat I see in these stories.
A lot is, you know they'll losesomeone, and then a baby is
born and it kind of fills backthat hole in their hearts.
Not completely, becauseobviously that's not possible,

(11:21):
but very close.
Well, congratulations on babyAnna, and that is all that we
have for you today.
If you have received a messagefrom heaven and would like to
share it with us, you can emailus at podcast at CLECEMorg, or
you can send us a message on oursocial media.

(11:41):
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thoughts and feelings aboutepisodes or share stories with
us.
If you are on Buzzsprout, lookat the description and you will
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You can now use this option toshare any other feedback that
you have directly with us, andthat is all.

(12:04):
Thank you so much for listeningand have a great day.
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