Loss - April 22, 1972 My Brother Gained his Angel Wings - Life Changed Forever

April 22, 1972  - My Brother’s Last Day Of Life

On this day 53 years ago by 3 pm in the afternoon my brother John Patrick Sega went to be with the angels.   The same angels that visited him before his passing.  Jon Jon and I had a very candid conversation about his visitations, and as a six year old little girl I was not happy to hear that he would be leaving me!

You see, he was my hero, my best friend, my protector!   I looked to him for everything, my older brother only nine years old with his life about to come to an end.  What do siblings do with such knowledge?

Here is a small excerpt from my memoir, “The Unspoken Truth”.  This was a private moment we shared discussing life, death and the angels. Chapter 2 – Alone I Weep

Out of mouths of Babes..

Lisa are you awake?  I hear his voice from down the hall.   Yes, Jon Jon I am

What is wrong?   I am scared again come see me.  Ok, I am coming.  I climb out of bed and run down the hall as fast as I can because I am scared of the dark.   I jump into his bed and we lay there looking up at the ceiling.   I say, what are you afraid of?   I am afraid of dying, He says to me still looking up at the ceiling.   I rub my hand on his face and say, please don’t go; I want you to stay with me forever!   I will stay with you Lisa forever I promise.  Will you really die Jon?   Yes, he says the angels told me I would be going soon.   Tell them I said they couldn’t take you away from me!   They said I have no choice, but I can come back and visit any time.    OK, so if you go it will be just for a little bit then you can visit any time you want?  He says yes, any time.  Then I will be waiting for you, and maybe one day I can go with you and the angels will teach me how to fly.  He laughed at me, and then we laughed together.   I love you so much Lisa.  I love you to Jon Jon…

The best memories that I have with my brother, is that he made me laugh. He was a big jokester, and I believe he used humor to cover of his own pain and discomforts. Him and I had this deep dark conversation, and then he made me laugh.  That is what we did, we were kids!

Our last moments in life together we tried to fit it all in, and on the last day that I saw him alive I said to him, “Jon Jon please get better we need to go outside to play again, we need to laugh, I love you”.   He told me he loved me too, as I held his hand for the last time as my grandmother pulled me away and guided me out the door of my house. I did not want to go, and fought so hard to stay, but I was forced to leave. With sadness in my big blue eyes, I knew that would be the last time that I would see him alive, and unfortunately, I was right.

The next day in the front seat of my mom’s 1965 Mustang he left this world.   He so desperately wanted to go visit my Grandmother Rose (my mother’s mom), so my mom packed him up in the car to make her way up there to her house, but their journey was interrupted.  Jon Jon passed out in the front seat, and they ended up at the hospital instead.  As my devastated mom sat by his side, my distraut father rushed to be with them for those last moment of his life, and just like that he was gone.

This was the moment in my life that changed absolutely everything!   The death of my brother sent my parents and I down a road that nobody could have ever predicted.   The damage ran deep.

I do believe my brother is my guardian angel, he has told me many times.  I am here to help you, and he has.  I truly believe the reason I am here today of sound mind and body is due to him.  He helped me get through the darkest times of my life, he was my guardian, my angel, my hope! He continues to walk with me through this journey, and always sends me signs at the right time. Our love line will never be broken.

Fifty-Three years is a long time to be away from someone you love, but his spirit has never left my side.  To this day I still feel him, hear him, and his energy guides me along.    I see his big smile, and his goofy nature in myself!    I carry a piece of him with me through life.  

Last night he was in my dreams, smiling brightly at me. I saw him so clearly in the yard of our childhood home. It was a place he loved so dearly. Being outside in nature. Him and I shared that together, and as I saw him standing there, I felt his love shining brightly. I wanted to run and hug him, but I just watched him. I woke up before I made steps towards him, but I received his message quite clearly.

“I am here with you, please continue to smile as you honor my life,” REMEMBER THE LAUGHTER

Him and I will meet again someday, but until them I see him everywhere.  In the sky and clouds, in nature, in the sunshine, as these are all things that he loved! The Blue Heron and Hawk represent his spirit, and I see them at the most “spirited” moments. When this happens I smile and say, “Hello my brother, I love you”.

The life cord/connection can never be broken no matter how far away he may be; our love connects us for life and then some!

Embrace the Journey,

God Bless,

Lisa Zarcone

Author - Child & Mental Health Advocate - Public Speaker - Blogger