Finding Brave 155 and 156: Connecting with Loving Spiritual Support, Lorna and Aideen Byrne

Recording. Hello, everybody. Kathy Caprino here. Welcome to another episode of Finding Brave. I want to tell you I am going out of my mind with excitement for this one. In fact, I didn't even sleep last night. I was so excited, which doesn't tend to happen to me. I sleep pretty well. I am so thrilled to bring these two amazing individuals to you through Finding Brave. And I'm just going to dig right in. And what we are talking about today is how to connect with uplifting spiritual support for yourself and for your children and for your family. And I know we're going to talk about things that I don't typically talk about on this podcast, and I hope you embrace that and love it and it's helpful to you. So, without further ado, let me introduce Lorna Byrne and Aideen Byrne. And first of all, thank you so much for taking the time. You too. I know you're in the middle of launching your beautiful new book, and so I'm so grateful. Thank you for being here.

Our pleasure, very much.

From Ireland, no less. All right, everyone, let me tell you, I need my glasses for this. Let me tell you about Lorna and Aideen, and I am going to give you a little bit of a story about why I'm so drawn to the both of them and their work and how sometimes this happens in life that you are something you connect with, reaches out and grabs you and doesn't let go. And that is the work of you too, ladies. So, everyone, here's Lorna Byrne, world renowned spiritual teacher, speaker, and international best selling author of Angels in my hair and seven other books published in more than 50 countries and 30 languages with millions of readers around the world. In 2019, Lauren was named by Watkins Mind, Body Spirit magazine as one of the 100 most spiritually influential people living in the world. The people who attend Lorna's worldwide events are very diverse, including theologians and religious leaders, sports people, business people and scientists. People of all walks of life, young and old, of all religions and of none. Those who don't experience a religious life are drawn to Lorna to seek her spiritual insight. Many of them say she has given them back hope in their lives. And we are here today to talk about all that, plus your new book, My Guardian Angel, My Best Friend. And it's your first children's book, a compilation of seven stories introduced and illustrated by her daughter, Aideen. And I have to tell you, I've dug in. It's so riveting and so beautiful. Oh, can't wait to talk about it now. Let's talk about Aideen. Aideen Burns life was transformed at the age of 13 with the publication of her mother's first book, Angels in My Hair. Introducing and illustrating the new book My Guardian Angel, My Best Friend is the first step, the first brave step, I think, in giving voice to her own experiences of this spiritual journey. Because beyond supporting and creating with Lorna, Aideen's passion and career focuses on law and research, particularly access to justice. As coordinator of the University of Edinburgh. Am I saying that right? Law School Pro Bono and Clinical Legal Education Department. My goodness, you people don't sleep. Adine develops and maintains their pro bono portfolio, helping people and scholars, Scotland and around the globe overcome the justice gap. Aideen co founded Pro Bono Skills.com to support law students doing pro bono work with access to high quality training materials and events. Wow, that is so incredible, so inspiring. All right, now let's get serious, let's dig in. So a lot of you I know don't know of Lorna and I, or Aideen and I want to share quickly a story about how I learned of Lorna if I could, because I have a feeling listeners are really going to resonate with this. Quickly, here's the story. I grew up in the Greek Orthodox religion and I want to tell you as a very young child. So there's lessons, I think in all of this, I mean, eight or nine, I was sitting in church saying, I don't, I don't believe this. What I'm hearing, it doesn't feel right. And I remember saying to myself, I don't think a loving God would say this, but of course you doubt yourself. What do I know? I'm an 8 year old, I'm a 12 year old. What could I possibly know? But what happens is, as I grew up, I decided, this doesn't fit me. None of this fits me. And in fact, I even sang in St Patrick's Cathedral for a year as a non Catholic in the choir. And I think I've shared this with you before. A woman sat next to me and said, you know, Greeks cross themselves differently. She said, we don't cross ourselves like that here. And I remember thinking, I don't think God cares how I cross myself. You know, constantly struggling with these messages. So I chucked it. I said, I guess spiritual life isn't for me until I had a big transformation that you all know about after age 40. And I decided, you know what, let me choose my own spiritual life. Let me build it with what feels right to me. And a lot of people Would say, well, what do you know? That's arrogant. I don't care. It worked for me. And back in 2016, I follow a wonderful guy, Mike Dooley, who does events with Lorna and is a spiritual, fun, spiritual guru in his own right. And on his site, he had that. He was doing an event with Lorna. And I went to Lorna's site, and all I can tell you is I watched one video, Lorna, I get choked up. And it was like a thunderbolt struck me. I just. I couldn't stop watching you. So it was over Christmas break of 2016. I said, let me get angels in my hair. And I couldn't get it from the library as a book, so I got it as an audio. And I don't know, I don't think it was you, but it was a woman with an Irish brogue. I sat in my bed for, I think it's seven straight hours listening to angels in my hair. And all I can tell you is I felt so loved. I felt so surrounded by love. And then I read all of your books in one week. I swear, I walked around with. I actually began to see my angel very large. And what happened was, this is a very long story, but I reached out and I said to your website and I said, may I please interview Lorna, thinking she doesn't have time for Kathy Caprino. And the answer was yes. And we did that first one, a webinar that now has 100,000 views and we're linked to it below. And every time I read your words, every time I speak to you, and then we met, and we met a dean, my son and daughter came, and we were all transformed. Elliot still remembers when you said we were walking in nature and you said, don't you see the energy? You were pointing to how we look through like, you know, it was like a person that we should see. And he said, I see it. So then we brought 20American women over last fall to a spiritual retreat that they still say changed their lives. So I want to tell you people, if you've ever felt like what you're told from a religious standpoint doesn't fit you, you're not alone. And Lorna and Aideen's work, I think, will speak to you. What do you think about that story, ladies?

I think that's an incredible story. I didn't know all that. So. You didn't? No. And so I kind of blown away. And especially that you read all the books and you felt, you know, the presence of your guardian angel. You know, so tall and so big. You know, I never knew any of that.

Oh, I'm so glad I shared it. I love it. I love it. Now, Lorna, for people that don't know you, can you. And I know it's a long, incredible story, but can you tell us a little bit about your childhood, what happened and how you got connected to angelic support?

Well, it is a long story, but I'll try and keep it short. And I suppose the first thing I always remember is, you know, just lying in my cot and my mom bending over me and fixing the blankets or, you know, doing something. And I trying to reach up and touch the angels. I wanted to play with them. Now, I didn't know they were angels, remember?

And how old were you then in your cut?

I would say I was only about six months. If I was that, you know, I. I was. I couldn't sit up or do anything like that. And of course, my arms were going everywhere because, you know, the way kind of do it, do it right. But it was about when I was maybe two or two and a half, and I was playing in front of the fire with my little brother, and my dad had made blocks, and he had said to me, you know, he will sit with his back to the fire because it won't burn him. And we were just playing with the blocks. To me, this was just normal. This was my little brother. And it was like as if our hands touched, you know, his hand went into mine or mine went into his, and it just all sparkled. And I know I laughed and I felt so happy. I felt so much love. And at that moment that the angel said to me, you know, that they were angels, and I was to keep it a secret. But as well as that, they told me that my little brother was a soul. He had died before I was born, and sometimes I would see him as an infant in my mom's arms. But you have to remember my age. I was so young. And I just thought that, you know, at first I realized when they had said that, you know, at first was that, you know, my mom and dad surely saw them. Aren't they all part of the family? You know, to me it's normal. And I'm dyslexic, if I'm saying the right dyslexic.

Yep.

Okay. So I was considered way back then in Ireland, retarded, because I couldn't. Couldn't read or write no matter what way. They tried to teach me things in school. I just couldn't manage it. But I have to Say I had the best teachers and the best companions. Because the angels have taught me every single thing I know. And as a child they were constantly reminding me to keep it a secret. And I know some people don't like using that word, but to me, that word was protecting me. It was keeping me safe.

Can I ask you so people understand this? I think you mean that if you had said it, people would have thought you were crazy. Is that right?

Yeah.

They would have maybe put you away. Is that correct?

That's what would have happened. I wouldn't be here talking with you. I would probably have been put into an institution anyway.

Oh, Lorne.

It did in Ireland at that time, for anything, let alone how scary.

I have a question. I read, I think, from Aideen's materials that you didn't have formal education after the age of 10. Is that accurate?

Yeah, I was just. I never really had any education from school. Like I was put in the back of the class. And they didn't bother with you and you.

I say this a lot to myself. Tell me what you think. You spent all your hours in nature and you were with. I mean, you must read these books. People, what Lorna has experienced and angelic, you know, voices. And you see angels the way I see you. Really? Do you think it's possible? I've always wondered this. You didn't have the ability to read. So what was come. You had a pure mind. Those of us who have read and studied our mind, yes, it's informed, but it also can be a little polluted by ideas. You had this pure mind that could be very open. Is that right?

Yes. The one word the angels used to use for me, and that was that I wasn't contaminated. And I can't believe I can say that word.

Isn't that weird? I just said polluted and now you're saying contaminated. That's right. Because to have the views that you have, society doesn't get scared of those. Don't they, Lorna?

I think society in one sense is a little scared, but I think it's hungry and thirsty as well. I think everybody out there in the world is. We all want to say, look for the meaning of life is the more to life. Do we really have a soul? Do we really have a guardian angel? And I'd have to say yes, you know, because see them.

You see them with every person you meet, don't you?

And you know, even my little brother at that young age, you know, he would change his age, but I would never. I was a child. I Didn't question it. To me, all that was normal. But now I know normal as an adult, you know, because. And especially when I had written the first book, Angels in My Hair. But that took four years and that took a lot of miracles. And I was constantly saying, no, I can't read or write, and no way. I couldn't even write my name Now. I used to write the letters for school. My youngest, who would be Owen in the books.

I see. Wow, What a story. Now, and we are going to talk about your new book and why it is so important. And Aideen, now I know you a little better than I used to, which is such a blessing for me. Can you talk about what. What it has been to grow up with guardian angels and believing or not believing and how it's impacted you?

Yeah. I think why I wanted to do this book with mom was because how. Support. Supportive. That's the word I always think of when I think of my guardian angel. I think of support. When I think of spirituality, I think of support. And that's why I wanted to help mom with this book. Because I think especially as a kid, having. Having a guardian angel or having a belief in God or even like, as I grew up then I started to believe in, like, having a soul and other people having souls and all of that just really gave me strength that I don't. I don't know where I would have gotten that strength from otherwise. Obviously, there's the more typical things like. Like family and friends and on all of that. But this is like another. Another level, another resource, something else to pull on.

I so see that. You know, I try not to do any. I have my little candle here that represents something higher. I mean, I feel that we need that desperately. I mean, look what's going on in the US there's so much hate and divisiveness. We've forgotten to look at each other as souls. You know, I love it, but it hasn't been always easy. I know. I mean, even when I'm brave and I'm talking about something not angels, but something that perturbs people's fears. It can be very difficult. Let's face it. You know, people can be rageful, violent. I know that. So thank you for your bravery. So tell us, both of you, about this book. How did the book for children? But it's not just for children, is it? It's for parents. It's for family members. How did it. How did the idea come to you?

Well, maybe I should start again. The angels had said, you know, I'd write a children's book. And even all the other books they had said one day I would write about God and us. And that meant them. And they did say they'd become bestsellers, but they never told me be such hard work.

They didn't want to scare you away, Lorna. They're not going to tell you that, right?

I suppose over the last five years, I had said to Aideen and my family, I'm going to start to write a children's book. But it kept getting put off. And I believe now is the right time for us. You know, it's just full of seven stories, you know, and they all have, you know, meaningful hidden messages, you know, in the adventures for. For the children. And it's to help them to connect with their guardian angel, you know, to give them courage and strength as they grow, to give them hope the way given to you, you know, as well. And. And to me that's very important because I've met so many children all over the world, and they would tell me stories that they just found me on YouTube and discovered they have a guardian angel, or it could be a teenager and found they had a guardian angel. And they would tell me a story about how their guardian angel helped them in school, bullying or with learning or something at home. Like, one little boy sent me a letter and he was 12. And he said he was so happy that he knew he had the guardian angel and his sister had a guardian angel, because he gave him comfort to know that his sister wasn't alone, that her guardian angel was there with her. And, you know, just when you think of it. And that's why I'd love parents to sit and talk with the children, you know, if they can read the book or the parents read the book to them, you know, and give them encourage encouragement. Because even when I was at a school and I was talking to this class of young children and telling them they have a guardian angel. And I had said, any questions? And one little boy, only one little boy at first put his hand up and he just said, do I really have a guardian angel? And I said, yes, you have. And he said, can I really tell my guardian angel anything? And he said, can I share it now? And I said, yes, go ahead. And that was the first miracle because it was like as if he forgot where he was. This classroom was packed.

He said, can I share now what I want to tell my guardian angel? What was.

Was actually very sad. This little child was at home for two weeks on his own, no food in the house or anything, you know, locking the door when he'd go in, locking it coming out, keeping the curtains pulled. And of course, all the teachers were shocked, you know, but that's what it does. You know, if a child can share with their guardian angel, then eventually they will share with mom or dad or someone else that can help them. And of course, we got help for that young boy. But then all the hands start going up.

Oh, what a miracle.

Have you heard the other stories like you say, wow, children really need to know because it does give them that, as it did you, that courage and that strength, you know, and it helps them to feel safe as well, and.

It helps the story. Do you find that, you know, we've talked a little bit about past lives, and I know you, you know, you have a view that it doesn't happen a lot. And, And I think I mentioned to you, I feel like I've seen some of my lives and they do say that young children remember, and then that begins to fade. But about angels, do you see that children have more of a capacity to believe than adults do?

Yes, definitely. And again, because, you know, they're. They have only just come from heaven, so they're. But I'm afraid the world tells them, you know, material things are more important and all of that. And, you know, if you think you have a guardian angel, that's only your imagination, right? Because you can't see it. Right.

You know, even in, in the women that came to on our retreat. But I see it, there's so much resistance. And what they want to say is, what is my angel's name? And, you know, if I get it correctly, they don't. The angel doesn't care what you call it. I mean, you don't have to get the name right. But I see it. There's. There's an obsession with getting the name. And I want to yell, don't worry about the name. But what do you say about that? Like, what holds us back from just hearing angelic supporter, spiritual guidance aideen. You want to talk about that when.

You were speaking earlier? Something I've reflected on a lot recently is, and you'd mentioned earlier that sometimes this topic is really difficult, you know, growing up with and things like that. But when I was little, the children, like, the other children around me, they were always just so curious. It was. It was like once we got to, like, older teens and then adults, there was this such a clear barrier. But when, when I was little, that didn't. That didn't exist. Like, things were Hard for other reasons. And children were difficult for other reasons, but it was never. There was always this curiosity. And it's funny you mentioned the names, because I remember some of the kids that I went to school with asking what their guardian angel's name was. But loads of the rest would just. They would say it to Mom. They would just say, this is my guardian angel's name.

And they ask you that. They wanted you to tell them what it was, or they wanted Lorna to tell, or they just. They.

What I remember is they'd always ask me about Mom. And then more generally, we might talk about garden angels, kind of like in the book. Actually, there's one story where. Where the tree. Is it? Who is it? Is it Miley? Is it Miley? And he's speaking with his friends and they're just chatting like a little bit. And it's so normal. It's not unusual or anything or it's not like it just fits into the conversation. So like, sometimes that would happen, but then if they had big questions, I would direct them to Mom.

The big guns over here. I love it. I want to talk more about the book. Absolutely. And how parents can use it. But before we do that, can you. Can you share? Based on. I know you've heard from probably millions of people through your prayer scroll. You know, you all will see the link to Lorna's site. You have a foundation, a children's foundation. So you're hearing from so many people. What do you think is the biggest barrier to people believing that there is a guardian angel or a spiritual support? What's the biggest barrier?

I. That's. That is an interesting question. I. I think it is, you know, what would you call it.

You know.

Over generations or centuries and, you know, religion, you know, you know, those, and you know, that are heads of religion can mention angels and, and the guardian angel, but it's like the rest of us can't, you know, but, like, who.

Are you to say that? You've seen that, right?

It's changing now. Like, you know, more. More religions are kind of allowing people to believe in the guardian angel. And I do have to smile, you know, that God is using his angels because we do see them as, you know, something safe, something beautiful, something loving that loves us unconditionally. And, and that's one thing about your guardian angel. It loves you unconditionally and never leaves you for a second. So no matter where you go, your guardian angel is with you.

I cry because that's one thing you've really hit home in all of your writing, that no matter what you do, your guardian angel loves you and unconditionally. And, and that's how I feel parents should love. You know, as a former therapist, family therapist, I've seen that parents that love only conditionally, like you have to get A's, you have to be beautiful, you have to be great in this sport to feel loved. The children don't grow into adults with a self. Healthy self esteem. But what I love about what you say about the guardian angels is every once in a while when I'm struggling with someone in my life or a client who's difficult or a course member, and I'll be really struggling, I'll say, what does their guardian angel feel about them? And honestly, I'll get this wave of love. It's like that's the only way in that I can have about how to love this person unconditionally. It's so beautiful and so helpful. I wanted to ask you about bravery. This podcast is called Finding Brave. I know, Aideen, you've gone through moments where you had to be brave to talk about this work, to do this work. Lorna, have you ever felt like, you know, God? Oh, before we move on, when you say God, I would like everyone to understand that there are no religions that you're saying must be to believe this. In other words, Allah, God, you know, any. Any word for a higher energy is, is safe and fair. Is that what, what you would agree with?

Yes. There. There's only one God. There's what? Whatever name you want to give God. Like God has millions of names.

Beautiful.

So it, it doesn't.

There's not only one way the all that is right.

God loves us. Sure. He's given us a guardian angel that loves us unconditionally. You know, no matter whether we're perfect or not perfect.

Very much not perfect right now, I think. Can you talk about have, have you had to be brave, Lorna, to do this?

Yeah, definitely. Because I was very scared, you know, like, you know, as a child and a teenager and as I grew into, you know, and got married and had children, they angels were constantly reminding me that, you know, one day I would write about God and us and that always scared me. But yet in my heart I knew that one day I would have to say yes. You know, and they tell you there'll.

Be a time when it's safe to.

No, they never did. You know, they're. They. What would you say? They remind me of things as I go down the road and I Suppose I have great faith and great belief. I just go down the road that is in front of me and if I suddenly have to turn left, I turn left, no matter what was, you know, ahead on that road. You know, some people might say, oh, but that was better. Why did you go left? But if I'm told to go left, I'll go left. And it doesn't bother me what was ahead.

I think, oh, go ahead, Aideen. Say it again. Say it again.

I just think that's so courageous, that.

Idea of believing and following and not.

Overly planning and all of those things.

No, I'll never forget when we were doing the retreat together and you went around the room, you gave us all one day where you said, ask your question. And I said something like, I don't doubt there are angels or that's not my issue. My issue is kind of how I operate in the world. And I'm working so hard and sometimes I feel like what I get is, you know, it was a mess. And this is what you said. First of all, this is how I remember it. I see how hard you're working. Keep going, okay, you're on the right path. But then you said, and this is why I know it's higher level support, because it's hard to say. You said something like, I think it would help you if you didn't. When you did something you weren't looking for what you get in return. That's what you said. And I thought for a minute, well, Lorna doesn't understand what it is to run an entrepreneurial venture. And I'm like, really, Kathy? You're really going to say to Lorna that in your mind that the angel doesn't know? It's hilarious. But what I think you were also saying is if you're always looking at what you're getting in return, there's just going to be constant push and pull. And that's what I was talking about. I feel a constant push that there's so much I want to give, but I'm exhausted. So I think that what you're so fortunate to have is a belief in the guidance that you get that you're not going to question it. I think what I see over and over is we don't believe the guidance we get. Is this right?

Yeah, definitely. And everyone is given guidance all the time, but most of the time we don't listen or we know it, but we go in the direction that everyone else is saying, and we're heading in that direction because we're told to Focus on just all the material things. Right. Sense, you know, and we lose track and we make life harder and more fearful because we're thinking, oh, I have to, you know, this has to be really successful. And we're. We're missing the connection with. With what we're doing, that spiritual connection as well as the human connection to make it bigger.

And I think, I think I've read in your books, you tell me I work with a lot of caregivers, whether they're therapists or coaches. And the opposite of what you shared is we come from the heart and we can't say no, but that means we're working till one in the morning answering emails from people in need. And I think in your books, your angel said, lorna, stop writing and go take a walk or go get a cup of tea. And they're not sweet about it, right. They're like, stop. We need that. Caregivers need that. Because I think that the opposite of only looking for financial wealth or material wealth is also we don't know when to stop giving and we're exhausted. Does that make sense?

Yes, definitely.

I think something that, well, I find.

Really useful to know. So maybe others would too.

Yeah.

Mom finds it hard as well.

Like, mom find. Doesn't always listen.

Yes.

She gets in trouble. And I just, I find that so helpful to know that someone who has.

Such a really tapped in.

Yeah. Still doesn't listen.

Because we're human. We're not. We're not in the next dimension yet. Oh, that's so helpful to me. Tell me more about the book and the stories. There is one story, isn't there, that you mentioned that in the introduction. I think, Aideen, that a boy came to one of your events, Lorna, and you saw that he was ill. Will you talk about that?

That's not a story, though. It's about the title and it's just in the introduction.

But it's a true story, isn't it?

I will write about him in other times. And it was just that when I was doing an event, I think it was in Germany, I was abroad and I think there was maybe 700 people to a thousand there at the time and lots of families and making the story short now, you know, when it came to questions and answers, eventually this young boy stood up and he just said, you know, Lorna, I have no, no question for you. I just want to tell you that my guardian angel is my best friend. And of course, the minute he stood up, you would have heard the pin drop was like as if everybody was holding their breath because no one noticed him until that moment. And. And he had. He had a machine beside him, and he was wired up. He had things going, going into his neck and onto his head. And he said, you know, Lorna, could you ask God, you know, for the gift of life? And I suppose that is something that we all take for granted.

Wow.

And God did give him extra time, but that's why this book is called My Guardian Angel, My Best Friend, because they were beautiful.

Oh, that is such a beautiful story. So tell us a little more about what people will get out of this book.

I think people like parents. I think children. If parents give children permission, if the world gives children permission, the world gives teenagers permission. If we give ourselves permission to believe in our guardian angel, to know that we're not alone and it's there with us all the time. That's what I want to come from this, because I know already children and teenagers and even adults, when they discover they have a guardian angel and they have asked for help, they feel that closeness, they feel that guidance. They know they're not alone. And I suppose we have to take that next step spiritually and realize we need that part of us, the spiritual part of us in everything that we do. Not just the human part, because we are. We are two people in one sense. We're spiritual because we have a soul, and we're a human being as well. But we have been taught to only respond to the human part of us.

That is the truth. I'm going to throw this out in case it's helpful. Before I knew you and understood guardian angels, I know people are going to say, oh, she's lost her mind. But I. I connected with. Maybe they're a group of angels. It doesn't matter to me what they are, but they. They gave me a name. Eleazar. And what I would do is to connect with them and hear them. I would take three deep breaths, like down to my toes. I would have to take three deep breaths. And then, honestly, there would be this love that I would feel that did not feel like me. It. It felt like kind of what you're talking about. It is me, but it's something else. And then I would ask my questions. I would say, why am I struggling with this?

What?

Or blah, blah, blah. And they would always answer. They would reframe the question. They would say, dear Kathy. And sometimes they would repeat something three times, and they would say something like, we. We. We see how you are struggling, and we need to share. We do not see it the way you see it. And here is how we see it. And I swear it would be language that it wasn't coming from my mind. It was so beautiful and so love filled. So I invite people to. And I know the book will help, but create a practice where you're actually in conversation with your angel. Does this make sense?

Yeah, that's what I would love every man, woman and child to do. You know, put it into practice, make a part of your life. Because, you know, my life has been up and down, but only for I have responded to the angels 99% of the time. There's. Sometimes I didn't. But every time I do.

Every time you do, you what?

Life easier.

It makes life easier. So makes it easier.

Much easier. It makes such a difference. Like if, because I have learned that lesson, sometimes I would tell them to go away. I'm doing it my way, you know, and it wouldn't work. And you know, there'd be so much hassle and so much. And then I say, okay, okay, I can do it your way and everything would be fine. It would be much, much easier.

And also I think it's when, I mean, this may sound, you know, woo, woo again, but when you're approaching things with love instead of resistance and anger and hate and what we have in the US today, life is easier. So, you know, somebody once said, who I interviewed, listen, choose your beliefs. You're choosing them anyway. So why not choose a belief that makes you feel better, even if you're like, I mean, there are people in my own life who say, I don't believe that. I think we die and that's it. And what is this soul nonsense? And really an angel? Okay, well, how's that working for you? You know, how's that belief system helping you? So if there's skepticism, I would just ask, can you choose a way that makes you feel better in life? What do you think, Adine? What do you think about all this?

Well, I was thinking of the children in the stories and they. It's so simple. They just chat away the whole time. They just chat to their, their guard. It's not.

And then do they listen? Yeah. Having conversations.

And if that's it.

Kind of simple, isn't it? And tell us about your illustrations, which are. They're hauntingly beautiful.

Oh, thank you.

There's something about them that are so. I can't even. There are no words. They're just beautiful to me.

I. I prayed a lot.

Are you a natural artist? You've been illustrating for Your whole life.

I. I like to draw for myself. Art has always been something that I've loved, but. And I did some of it in school when I was. Was little. And as like early on when I was a teenager, I didn't even continue it through college or anything like that. And so like, when mam asked me. Me to do this, I was like, that sounds lovely. And then I thought about it and I was like, okay, are we sure? And it was. It was really intimidating. But mom kept saying that because I grew up believing that I had a guardian angel, that I could then somehow draw in a way that maybe others couldn't.

And there's this, may I say, there's this, I think, a simplicity to them that's not overly stylized like, you know, a graphic artist would do that makes them very accessible. You almost can see whatever you want to see in the images. Is that how you see it?

I love that you've said that.

That's.

That's what I wanted. I wanted. We wanted kids to be able to look and adults to. To look at the. Look at the images and see that doesn't have. Angels don't have to be this. This complicated thing. It's not inaccessible. And I know like, when I thought of angels when I was little and like, what mom always says is that they just look like people if, like, they look like what we need.

And I love that if you need a warrior, it's going to look like a warrior. I mean, I think that's how we're going to experience heaven too, in the beginning, what we need. But I want to tell you, after our retreat, Lorna, I would look in the mirror in the bathroom, and I would see this giant figure, but not with wings and, you know, a purple robe. It was just this giant right here. And that's all I could see. A diaphanous shape. And I just knew what it was, you know, Just knew it. Just knew it. And you told my son. He loves this. I hope he doesn't mind me sharing. Elliot, blue has always been his color. Blue is it for him. And we were in your living room and he said, what's my angel's name? And he told me later, if she says blue, I'm going to fall off the chair. What did you say? Blue. I mean, come on now. It's just all too fantastically wonderful. Any last words, my dears, on what you hope people will get from this? How you hope that they will receive it? If there's skepticism, how you hope that they can not that we're here to change people's minds. We're here, you're here to help. Any last ideas, thoughts?

Well, for me, anyway, I really want people to not feel so alone. That's what blows my mind, that we've only released the children's book now, even though it could have been years ago, but now in the middle of this pandemic when so many people.

And so scared.

And so scared. So that's what I want, especially for kids, because I know life is tough when you're a kid sometimes for a lot of children, and I just. I want them to have more support.

And children are bullied and children are. I think there's a story about sometimes people are cruel, children are cruel, and to. To have a support there that never varies, that never leaves us. What a wonderful thing to grow up with, right?

Yeah, absolutely.

I can't. Thank you, Lorna. Yes. Anything else you want to leave us with?

I. I want the children of the world to know that they have a guardian angel so they won't feel alone. Like, I always remember one little girl coming to me and it was in America and don't ask me what state, no book signing. And this little girl comes up with her mother, and mom doesn't say a word. And the little one says, she was about 7 or 8, and she says, will you tell my mom that my dad had a guardian angel with them and he wasn't alone.

Oh, come on now.

And I said, you're right. Wasn't alone. His guardian angel was right there with.

When he passed over, you mean?

And the little one turned her turn to her mom and said, now, I told you, Mom, I know you have. You know, I think even for adults, you know, we need. We need that comfort knowing we have a guardian angel right there all of the time. No matter what happens in our lives, you know, through the good things and even through the mistakes we make and, you know, anything that bad happens to know that we're not alone. Like I did here. I don't know if you have time.

Yes, all the time in the world.

She a researcher for one of the shows and she just said to me, she had done some research on 9 11, she had found this lady that, you know, was in the rubble and there was someone there with her. She kept saying there was a man there with her, and he was telling her, she's going to be okay to hang on. They're coming now. They'll only be a little while. And when the rescue workers came and she asked, where is he? He wasn't there. That was her guardian angel giving her. Because it wasn't her time to go. She was to live. You know, what a story. And it's just, you know, I'd love, you know, parents to give children permission, give themselves. And I think even for adults, it'll help adults find their inner child, their soul, you know, go back and see. If I had only known I had a guardian angel, what difference it could have made in my life.

I love it. You know, bringing up 9, 11, I interviewed some people about what, you know, how they were impacted. And there was a CEO in one of the towers that had been hit. And his responsibility was to collect the 200 people on his floor and get them safe. This is what he tells. He tried the one exit that he knew down the stairway, and it was blocked because there was rubble. And suddenly a kind of maintenance man, a man dressed like a maintenance worker, said, follow me. He followed and he brought all 200 people. I get chills down that stairway and stairwell. And the CEO let all the people go in front of him. And he knew the maintenance man was behind him. When everyone was safe, he turned to look. There was no maintenance man. And do you know what he said? My wife doesn't want me to talk about it. My wife thinks I sound crazy, but that's how sad.

We shouldn't feel, feel that way. We should be allowed to share things like that with our families and our friends. And we shouldn't think that way of someone else. We should say to ourselves, God, they're blessed. I hope that happens for me someday when I need it, you know, as bad as that. But your guardian angel is right there with you, helping you all the time, and as I said, loves you unconditionally and just never, never leaves you. And children need to know that. And especially now, because for children, I think life is much harder now.

For children, so much harder and confusing. And I would also just add from the human perspective, we need advice, we need help. Why not ask a source that is pretty darn reliable? I mean, I've got consultants, I've got advisors, I've got mentors. But I also have some spiritual help. And pretty invariably the spiritual help is right on. Now where, on that happy note, where can we learn about both of you? Where can we get the book? And of course, any link you mentioned will be in the show notes. Where do we find you? And I know you have this beautiful prayer scroll, scroll. Lorna, tell us, where can I send people? Where can we send people?

Because I'm dyslexic so I can't even go in on them myself.

I love it.

Well, I think the main place to go is lornaburn.com mom has all of her books there. She has the Prayer scroll there where you can write to her, and mom reads them all. She can't necessarily respond, but she reads and she prays. And right now, the. The book is published in the UK and Ireland. We're hoping to expand that.

I know, sure.

That'll happen some other countries, but I. I don't have a list but on.

So we can't get it. We can't get it here in the US Yet.

You can if you order from. From like I see. Or it might be available as a Kindle on Amazon.com okay.

All right, we'll explore that. What about. Would there be an audio version for children at some point?

Maybe There is already. It's on audible. Yeah.

Wonderful, Wonderful.

Who is. Who. Who narrates that? A beautiful.

An Irish lady. I don't know her name.

Love it. Wonderful.

Yeah.

I cannot thank you enough. I. I just. I could just be on here forever hours with you. I feel so uplifted. And, you know, the fact that you've written eight books, Lorna, I mean, it's. And you're dyslexic, and I know that you sometimes dictate what you hear. It's just a remarkable feat. And we are all so grateful because I know how crushingly hard it can be to produce that much helpful content. We're so grateful.

Thank you for doing this. You know.

My pleasure.

Lorna, get the word out there. You know, it's not about me or Aideen. It's about everyone out there, about every man, woman, and child. And that's the most important thing. So thank you.

Thank you. Well, it's my pleasure. And thank you, Aideen. Thank you for your beautiful illustrations and your bravery. All right, everybody, you know where to go. Lorna Byrne. Check out Aideen. Check out the book Prayer Scroll. Read. You know, I started with Angels in My Hair, which I thought was an incredible introduction to all your work. Read it. Click the link for the webinar that Lauren and I did. Just, you know, this is coming out the holiday season just like me four years ago. I don't think there's some better thing you can do than just give yourself an infusion of some love. I can't wait to hear what you think, people. Give us your comments. We'd love to hear and have a wonderful, wonderful week. Thank you again.