Sophronia Thrush is my great-great grandmother on my dad’s side of the family. I never knew of her existence until a few years ago.
After my separation from the ex-husband, I was looking for a place to live. I needed to be some place that would bring me healing from the hell of the last six months I spent trying to save a 32 year relationship. I’m a water girl by nature and soul as I was born in a coastal Oregon town, where I also spent many summer vacations and holiday gatherings with family. The ocean calms me, so I knew I wanted to live as close to the ocean as possible.
The realtor that helped the ex and I buy our house two months prior to him telling me “we were done” had become a friend. She was familiar to the place I was looking to live and offered to help me look for my perfect place of peace and restoration. On the day we decided to go look at apartments, I had lined up five places for us to look at. I had a few main criterias in looking at places. I had a cat and was hoping to also get a dog, so the place had to be pet friendly. I wanted two bedrooms in case my kids and grandkids ever wanted to visit and stay the night. And, it had to at least give me a view of the ocean. I was also looking for safety which for me meant being on the second floor at the very least.
We looked at the first four places on my list. A couple of them met some of the criteria on my list, but it wasn’t until I went to the last apartment on my list that an overwhelming sense of calm and being at home, hit me. It had everything on my list that I was looking for, but even more than that, it is where I felt I belonged. We went down to the manager’s office, I completed the paperwork, and the apartment became mine.
About four months after moving in, I received a text from my mom. My parents enjoy doing genealogy research. In the process of adding information to the family tree, she discovered that Sophronia was buried in the town I was now residing in. The text she sent me asked if I knew where the graveyard was located. I literally gasped when I read the text. The apartment complex I was living in was kitty-corner to the graveyard where she was buried. I had walked by the graveyard many times. It’s beautiful, old, and serene and is often visited by deer and fawn who graze on the grass.
I tried to find her grave on my own (I have a great sense of direction, but I’m useless when it comes to looking at maps) to no avail. My new husband helped me find her gravesite last year. She is buried right next to a cypress tree.
I remain convinced to this day that Sophronia was speaking to me that day when I found my apartment. It was about a block and a half from the ocean, where I spent many of the early days during the separation and subsequent divorce, screaming at the ocean with tears running down my face, or sitting on the rocks, contemplating my new life. She knew I needed to heal and she knew she needed to watch over me.
I’m so glad you found a place to be – meant to be, even. Yes I think we are often guided by those who’ve gone before.
It was truly a healing place for me. I also think when we speak of listening to our intuition, it’s often our ancestors helping to guide us.
I have never heard of the name, but gosh it is beautiful. I believe she was speaking to you too the day you found your new home. Goosebumps!!!
I want to get a t-shirt that says something like, “in a world full of Ashleys, be a Sophronia.” It gives me goosebumps every time I think of how she helped me.
Oh yes!!! You totally should get that on a shirt.
When I was looking up the name out of curiosity, the one website said that in 1895 there were only 26 girls with this name. And only 33 in 1900!! (appellationmountain(dot)net) was the website. It has such interesting information about the name.
This is very interesting info indeed! I truly love her name.
Oh I love this so much Christal xoxo
thank you. I’m glad I shared it.
Sophronia is indeed a magnificent name!
It truly is a glorious name.
What a beautiful name, and I believe in Fate, so I think you are right, she was calling you.
Thank you. I believe in listening to my inner voice as much as possible. I’m so glad I listened to her.
That is an awesome story and experience !!
thank you. I feel very blessed to have experienced it.
Oh my goodness this just makes my heart sing, how beautiful ❤️
Thank you, Rachel. I feel very lucky that I made this spiritual connection.
What a special story. I’m glad you were able to find such a wonderful place for healing and renewal.
Really enjoyed reading your story – and Sophronia is a wonderful name!
Oh wow! What a beautiful story. She was looking out for you! I am so glad you found that space and found her.
Me to. She will always be dear to me.
Christal, what an amazing story! It does seem as though she was truly calling you to her so she could watch over and help heal you. Do you still feel her or has she faded back away now that you are content again?
I talk to her often. We still visit her grave site when we are in the area, so I feel her most when I’m there.
[…] Friday, I wrote about my great-great grandmother Sophronia (click her name to read the post) and how I believed she helped me when I was going through my […]