The Miraculous Mother & Her Last Message!

Portia Booker shares a powerful story this time (well, several really) about her miracle moments. But the one that stunned me was her Mother's last message to her-simple, profound and celebrating Portia's strength and bravery, the message changed Portia's life. And it will change your life too!

Transcript

Hi, Everyone, And welcome back to the podcast whose sole reason for existence is to remind you that this world is filled with mystery, Miracle and magic. And I'm really excited about the guest I'm introducing to you this episode, Portia, The producer, Who is a grief awareness advocate, Producer and media professional who has done so many incredibly exciting things in her life. And we talk about that a little bit later in this episode, But she's also dedicated to mental health advocacy, Grief awareness, And her belief in the power of storytelling to heal. She's had a colorful career and has navigated the challenging aspects of her life with grace and beauty. And Portia's miracle moments had me gobsmacked. Stories was such a gift to me because I got to hear what it looks like to be raised with love and conviction. So now here's Portia with all the details of her magical life. And so when she finally took her last breath, I mean, It was, It was the coolest thing to see. But literally, I watched. You can see, I could see it slow down and you could literally narrow it down to like a timer. And the minute her heart stopped. The room heated up and I remember seeing her spirit and she waved to me and blew me a kiss and out she went. My father was a well-known DJ in the city of Cleveland. His stage name is Butterfly. And he's performed with different individuals. One of the biggest groups that he performed with was the Daz Band. So some of the members know my dad. So if any of them are listening to this interview, My dad is Charles Booker, Known as Butterfly. And so my dad, I would go to some of his shows as a kid. I have his music upstairs. My mom would sing from time to time, But I think my mom, Kind of like me, Wasn't encouraged to pursue that as a career because my mom had the voice. She did, But she never pursued it. So to answer your question about being in a household that was strongly led by women, It was a blessing and a curse. I'll be honest. I mean, Because in the household I had, I had my great-grandmother. Grandmother. Who was part of the great generation. So she was born in 1915. My mom and my dad were both boomers. So you figure I've got the influence of the great generation and boomers in the same household. And then I've had my great aunt who lived next door, Who was also part of the great generation. So the influence was there learning different aspects of life that I think a lot of people today do not have. For example, My great grandmother, She had the education of what would be equivalent to an eighth grade education. But my great-grandmother understood people. She understood what it meant to be hospitable, Hence hospitality. So she started several different organizations inside of her companies to bring people together. And she taught me that at a young age. I used to sit in the kitchen with her and watch. Soap operas. My mom would have a whole fit because my mom hated it. But that's where I learned how to storytell. Of course, Who doesn't remember like sand through the hourglass or days of our lives? But those experiences with my great-grandmother helped me to understand business and people. This is why I never thought I'd become an entrepreneur, But this is how it shaped me. To be the entrepreneur that I am, To be successful. Now, On the opposite end, The other component to being led by a strong woman household is extreme independence. So for a long time, I felt that I had to do it all. That asking for help was a sign of weakness. So even today, As I'm in a relationship with someone, Even learning to allow him to extend his hand and not feel as though I'm letting myself down, Being okay with someone saying, I love you and I want to help, It's not a tit for tat. It is this person cares about you. It's not like they're trying to get something out of you. They want you to be the best version of you. And whatever they can do to help extend that, Allow them. The other thing too was not only just asking for help. But being vulnerable enough to seek it. Because we can say we want help, But at the same time, When we ask, We still have to do our part in asking for help, Taking the action, Doing our part. And so that was the biggest thing, Kirsten, Was learning that it's okay to not be the strong one all the time. And my boyfriend did tell me that one time. He said, You don't have to be the strong one all the time. And that hit me so deep. That's why if he's listening to this, I love you to pieces. You know who you are. You do make my world a lot better. But yeah, He when he said that to me, It really struck a chord because I didn't realize for a long time that that was my M. O. And then once both my parents made their physical transition, I use the word transition, Kirsten, Over passed away, Because it really is a transition in my eyes. It's a transition in how we connect with them now. It's a transition in our identity as the physical beings that we are here on Earth. It's a transition in how we communicate. And how we see the world. And so now that both my parents have transitioned, Even learning that curve. Of living life, Finding meaning again. That's a whole another story for another day. I'm not gonna go too deep into that, But we might touch on it. But yeah, So I hope that answered what you were looking for, Kirsten, Because that strong-led female household, It was great, And it had its cons. But I've been able to find somewhat of a balance with that too. Another time, Last summer, I had a near-death experience. So I was actually in Oklahoma. I was on my way to Tulsa. To visit some friends cause that's where I used to live. And highway, I think, I forget what, If it's 75 or whatever, But it's a 75, 80 mile highway on both ends. So it's only what like two or three lanes. Well, The rental car I had, I knew something was off with it, But you know, Sometimes you just go with the flow, Right? So I kept driving the rental car. All of a sudden, Kirsten, The back tire pops and the back bumper flies off. And mind you, I'm going 70 miles an hour. Luckily, I was able to slow down enough to get into the left ravine grass area where I'm off the highway, But still cars are still flying back and forth. I get out of the car, I get out, My heart is literally about to beat out of my chest, And I look to see all the debris behind me. I tried to call my soul mother. I tried to call my boyfriend. Nobody's answering. Well, Literally, Kirsten, I just bawled. I just broke down and cried. And when I looked up in the sky, A blue heron was circling over me. Now, Blue herons are normally around water. And I was about 20 minutes out from Tulsa, So I wasn't even at the Arkansas River yet. But that blue heron. Was my reminder. I see you, I got you. And I saw the police car flying down the road. The police pulls up behind me and he saw the whole thing. He's like, This could have been ugly for you. He said, If you didn't stop when you did. Your car could have hydroplaned. You could have been ejected from the vehicle. I mean, All the scenarios you can think of. But that blue heron was my sign. That I was OK. Like I had to get back to my friend's house who lives in another part of Oklahoma. It was a whole thing. But I and I remember telling the the driver who drove me back to my friend's house about the whole experience and even to him. My story gave him permission to walk away from his job because he was miserable. The job that he was at was giving him problems. And he kept getting that tap on the shoulder. Start your own endeavor. Start your own endeavor. And he said, You know what? Just hearing your story today, He's like, You're the second person today whose story has touched me. And he's like, I think that's my sign to just go for it because of the The passenger before me was a gentleman who was blind. He had gotten shot during a bad drug deal. So he lived, But he was blind. And the man told the driver, He's like, I'm grateful. Even though I can't see, I can still experience life. So we never know. I mean, Those are just two that stand out to me. I mean, I can even share the one about my mom. So when my mom transitioned. Literally, It was devastating. It was one of the most. . . Beautiful yet bittersweet experiences I've ever had, Kirsten. We talk about when people come into the world, But we don't often talk about The stillness? And the timeline of watching someone actively die. And with my mom, I was in the room with her the entire time. And an hour before my mom opted for the morphine drip. I got to talk to her. We talked and something told me, Portia, Record this. You're going to want to hold on to this conversation. So I had the very last conversation that me and my mom had recorded on my phone. And I got to tell her, Thank you. For being the greatest mother. For keeping her foot up my butt to get me to the college door. To supporting me in my dreams. She was the one that encouraged me to take the TV job, Even when I was hesitant. She said, Portia, This is what you worked hard for. Go for it. She always told me to go for it. And that was her last message to me was, Portia, Go for it. Go. Oh, Didn't want to hit me. Go for your dreams. Porsche, Go. And so when she finally took her last breath, I mean, It was the coolest thing to see. But literally, I watched. You can see, I could see it slow down and you could literally narrow it down to like a timer. And the minute her heart stopped. The room heated up and I remember seeing her spirit and she waved to me and blew me a kiss and out she went. Well, Then I told her, I said, Mom, Make sure you come visit me. Let me know that you made it to where you're supposed to be. So just like in the Bible. Three days after Jesus died. What happened? He rose from the dead. So I went outside three days after. And I was standing on my front porch. And a monarch butterfly was circling in my front yard, Just flying. And I said, All right, I know that's you. I know you're OK. So in a couple of weeks, Goodbye. We get my mom's ashes. So me and my brother are fighting about who's gonna drive the ashes home and I said, Okay, So I guess I'm gonna be the ashtray, I guess, Fine. So I put the ashes in the back seat. And as I'm driving. I get to the stoplight. And just like that TikTok video of the guy in the Honda Civic who has the windows down and this owl lands on his lap and the message or the caption says, When the divine has a direct message for you, They need your attention. So I'm sitting at the light. And this epiphany comes in my ear that says, Portia, What if your mom's transition is a transformation? And I said, What does that even mean? I didn't hear that. Then I heard it again. Portia, What if your mom's transition is for your transformation? And Kirsten, I'm telling you, I slowly started to see it after hearing that. Hence the name of my audiobook, Finding Grace Within Grief, Her Transition, My Transformation. Because as I brought up in the beginning, When you asked me about being in a strongly led women household, There's pros and cons. But one of the things was, Again, Learning to ask for help, Not being timid about things. And so I had to kind of relearn some of those things after my mom transitioned. But I saw the ball rolling, Literally. So simultaneously, As I'm grieving, There's also great things happening. Even though I couldn't fully recognize it at the time. When I look back on it today, Yeah, The duality of yes, My heart is broken. At the same time I'm being rebirthed. Thanks everyone for listening and for meeting another splendid human being in this world. Whether you listen to the long form interview or the little bite-sized offering that I make each week, Please believe that each episode is crafted with care and the intention to help everyone understand that this world really does have a lot of hope in it and a lot, A lot of goodness. I want to thank Portia for coming onto the show and being open, Vulnerable, Herself, And willing to share all of her stories. This is also the time I ask for ratings and reviews. I would be so grateful if you do either. It makes my heart happy, And I practically skip down the street singing. So yeah, Consider it a rating or a review wherever you find the pod. Thank you for listening, And here's my one request. Be like Portia. I mean, Portia is really passionate about a lot of different things. But what she's doing in the world, How she's bringing herself to the world, Is with a lot of conviction, A lot of courage, A lot of compassion. She wants to help others and be there for others and remind others that this world is an incredible place. So be like Portia and walk in your truth. Be like Portia and be good. Good and in your goodness do good for others. We need more medicine like Portia. We need more people like Portia. Discovering your gifts and then bringing those gifts to others to make this world a shinier place.