1117- a very special number in my life

I was 18 when my mom's mother, my Mom-Mom, died.  I was very close with her and thankfully remember her well.  She and my Mom were very close and when my grandmother was dying, she had a conversation with my mom in which she told her she would send her a sign that everything was ok.  My mom waited a long time for a sign but just couldn't figure out what it was.  Little by little she started noticing that should see the number 1117 a lot.  November 17th is my mom's birthday.  The more she paid attention to it, the more she realized that this number had a way of popping up during times of great sadness as well as happy times.  She began to realize that this was her mother's way of telling her everything was ok and she was there. 

My mom told me about this and when I heard of all the times that she would see this number I knew it wasn't just coincidence.  One of the first times I remember really feeling the impact on it was during my daughter's birth.  I asked what time it was and was told it was 11:17.  That cannot be a coincidence!!  Since then I have seen the number in many different places. Basically where ever a number can be, I have seen it. Sometimes I see it several times a day, sometimes several times a week, but there are very few weeks that go by that I do not see it at least once. When life is full of challenges I see it more often and equally as much during happy and exciting times.  I never look for it, but I don't have to, it just appears.  I could recount story after story of ways Mom-Mom has said "hi" to me.  
Here is just one example recently:
I was going to a Gavin Degraw concert in December and had to drive to Virginia to pick up a friend and then drive to the concert. I was excited and looking forward to the concert.  There is a sign very near my house that displays how many miles and minutes it is to the next major highway.  It always says 11 miles 16 minutes.  Every time I look at it that is what it says.  This day, however it said 11 miles 17 minutes.  I smiled, as I always do, and said, "Hi Mom-Mom", and knew she was traveling with me!  Oh how she would have loved to hear my Gavin Degraw concert stories!!  

Whether you are a believer in these types of things or not, I cannot for one minute doubt it. There have just been too many times in the past 15 years that she has been with me in the form of this number.  It is comforting and reassuring and makes me believe a little more in life after death.  

So it was only appropriate that I would include 1117 in Double Sunset, a story that walks a fine line of life after death possibilities. So being the believer that I am, I added this number into the story and it became an integral part of Ava's life, particularly at the end.

I like to think that Mom-Mom was there with me helping me to finish and publish this book and she was loving every minute of it! As I wrote I was often given little gifts along the way that helped propel the story forward.  Adding 1117 into the story was just this type of gift that helped to shape the lives of Ava and Jack, Katherine and John! 

Thanks Mom-Mom! I love you!

Next time I will detail the other "gifts" that were simply presented to me as I wrote which helped make the story what it is now. 

P.s As I emailed myself the picture of my grandmother from my phone to add here, I looked at my emails and yup you guessed it- 1117! Yes, my friends, THAT is how it works!!