Monica The Medium
In her apartment bedroom an exhausted Monica Ten-Kate sits across from me in the large black and white chair she likes to use for meditation. Her eyes close, and I quickly press record on my camera to catch her in a serene moment. Suddenly, her eyes pop open and she stretches for her journal, scratches something down, looks up at me and says:
"You do have dead people on the other side.”
“There’s a grandmother who’s been bothering me. Is it mom’s mom? She’s SO excited you’re here!”
For the next two hours, Ten-Kate, a 20-year old Penn State sophomore, describes my world through the eyes of my grandmother. I was four years old when she died, so the scarce memories I have of her mean a lot to me, and make Ten-Kate's words have an exceedingly emotional impact. Cue the tears.
With accuracy and incredible detail, Ten-Kate depicted a picture of my grandmother by connects with the spirit world to bring my grandmother's memory to life. It is astounding to hear her describe specific objects of my grandma’s, such as her handwritten recipes, her jewelry, and special cultural items she collected from her travels, kept in a glass casing displayed in her house. Ten-Kate is shocked when I announced that my mom was one of 13 children, but I am the one in shock, as she begins rattling off some of their names, even names a few of their spouses.
During the reading, there is a brief and eerie moment when Ten-Kate can’t catch her breath. As her face turns red, she explains with a pinched voice that this was my grandmother’s spirit showing her how she passed, her death a result of a rare disease causing her to lose control of her involuntary bodily functions, taking her last breath.
I can’t say that I ever had an intense desire or longing to hear from my grandmother. Some people want nothing more in life than to receive one last message from a passed loved one, but for me, this hasn't been the case. Despite my indifference, Ten-Kate's reading gave me an indescribable feeling of comfort. It was as though she’d answered questions I subconsciously never knew I had.
Actually, one of the most treasured memories I have of my grandma is the time she actually did send me a message. A few years ago, she visited me in a dream and gave me advice that helped me get through a hard time in my life.
This dream is the most personal memory I have of my grandmother, so when Ten-Kate mentioned the visitation in the reading, I was completely taken aback. In that moment, I felt as though I was just given validation that signified how important that memory of her actually is to me, and the impact it’s had on my life. Suddenly, I understood that even though my grandmother's gone, her spirit is still alive and is guiding me in a variety of ways. I believe that I would not have been able to realize and appreciate these feelings, if it weren’t for Ten-Kate.
The emotional, yet positive experience I received from her reading is one that I’ll remember and carry with me for the rest of my life, as well as the special appreciation I gained for my family, especially for my grandmother.
Although she’s still a Penn State student, Ten-Kate developed her own business through her website, where people can schedule a reading by appointment for a listed price. Fortunately, being a medium is something that's not only her career path, it's her passion. Ten-Kat's unique ability to help is as rewarding for her as it is for each and every person she connects with: dead or alive.
Monica's Message to the Skeptics
As a medium, Ten-Kate has given a variety of people a positive experience through readings in which she channels, connects and communicates with the spirits of loved ones who have passed on to the other side. However, some people remain skeptical of Ten-Kate's gift, and believe that mediums are just taking advantage of grieving people.
Surprise! You're Having Twins!
Ten-Kate describes an interesting experience she had that happened, more than once, during one of her readings, involving surprise pregnancies.
