The Other Side

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Do you believe we can be in touch with the other side? Ever since Before the Storm was released, I’ve been hearing from people who relate strongly to seventeen-year-old Maggie. Maggie “connects” with her father who died many years earlier in a collision between a boat and a whale. Maggie seems to have touched a chord in many of you, and I’ve enjoyed hearing the stories of your own experiences.

I’m not an airy-fairy sort of person. Bucking conventional wisdom, I don’t even believe that “things happen for a reason.” But I have had a couple of unexplainable experiences myself. At times, my logical, grounded mind takes over and I chalk those experiences up to wishful thinking. At other times, I simply give myself over to the mystical. As my friend, author Emilie Richards, once said when I was pondering the possibility of ‘the other side,’ “Who could ever have imagined this world?” Her words still really hit home for me. Most of the time, anyway.

So when people ask me if I believe that Maggie was truly connecting with her father, I tell them the same thing I tell myself: What matters is how it feels to Maggie. That’s the only thing that counts.  

7 Comments

  1. Margo on July 30, 2008 at 8:57 am

    Diane, yes I definitely believe we can be in touch with the other side. I’ve had ‘experiences’ throughout my life as I’m sure many people have and connecting with another power can be miraculously uplifting, if not haunting. In BEFORE THE STORM I will never forget how I felt when early in the book Maggie comes to the SEA TENDER to ‘visit’ with her father…I felt every emotion possbile because Diane, you captured the bittersweet feelings of loss, faith and love and that’s why I love everything you write.
    What I find exciting about ‘experiences’ is that it makes me sit and think about what lifes all about.
    Diane, I wanted to mention I listened to another good interview with you last nite on the Texas station…just wished we could have called in. (-:

  2. Diane Chamberlain on July 30, 2008 at 11:06 am

    Margo, I’m so glad you could relate to Maggie.
    As for last night’s interview. . . I felt as though I was interviewing the interviewer more than vice versa. That’s a problem I have as a former therapist. I ask too many questions myself.

  3. Margo on July 30, 2008 at 11:25 am

    Diane, as far as the interview I kind of picked up on that (lol). I think he (the interviewer) had alot of things he wanted to share about ‘himself’ (lol)…(-:

  4. brenda on July 30, 2008 at 1:07 pm

    Diane-The movie is the greatest chick flick in awhile…no men in the theatre-I doubt John would find it entertaining as it is def. about the good looking male gender…however…who knows? As to Maggie and the other side-I think that is something definitely part of my philosophy and my faith…I believe in it… Now for another treat-I know I am behind the times and although I had to buy another new camera-second one-as my other was broken in England-and now my cell died…I broke down and got one of those little things-called a blue tooth or something-it is magnificent…Why have I waited so long. As I got rid of my landline…I don’t like the cell glued to my ear when talking to my kids and grandkids…(I am not a phone talker-I prefer email)…anyway-hope others of you have had good luck with them…

  5. Margo on July 31, 2008 at 8:03 am

    Brenda, I’m taking tomorrow (Fri) off and Gary and I are taking my mother to MAMA MIA…Sat we’re planning on seeing THE DARK KNIGHT.

  6. brenda on July 31, 2008 at 8:07 am

    Margo-enjoy…your mother will love the movie as I hope will you-not so sure about Gary…It is so entertaining from beginning to end-with no down time. It was intriguing to see Meryl S. singing-she did a great job. However, she is one of my favorites, and I will never forget her in “Bridges…” As to “Dark Knight”–not my “cup of tea” but let me know…

  7. Margo on July 31, 2008 at 9:26 am

    Brenda, I think Gary might enjoy MAMA because he likes musicals…we’ll see tho. We watched BATMAN BEGINS for the first time last weekend and had mom over to watch it with us…all 3 of us LOVED it and
    Christian Bale was SO GOOD. Can’t wait to see DARK KNIGHT and I’ll let you know about it next week. (-:

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