Exacto Moments

Sebastopol, August 2, 2026

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Years ago, I worked as a caregiver in a care home facility, and one of the residents in my care was a woman named Anita. I took care of her the way I would take care of my own mother. I fed her, I sat with her, I listened to her stories, and I prayed with her.

Her daughter Dannie made two collages of her mother’s life — old photographs gathered from across the years. Anita as a young woman with a beautiful smile, right at the center. Anita as a young mother with her children beside her. Anita out in the woods in her orange sweater. Anita holding her babies, and later her grandchildren, all the way to her silver hair. One collage Dannie framed and put on her mother’s windowsill. The other one she gave to me.

On the back of mine, she wrote in pencil:

John —

You are my mom’s hero. Thank you for caring for her and nurturing her. Most of all, thank you for helping keeping God in her heart.

— Dannie

I have kept that paper for five years

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This July, two days before my talk on healing at Holy Spirit Parish in Fresno, I was told by my co worker that Anne was in a facility in Fairfield. I called her daughter Dannie

She was surprised. Then she told me that out of the blue, she had just been remembering me.

The daughter told me her Mom is Santa Rosa and would be happy be happy if I could visit her.

August 2, Sunday

It was the best Timing for the following Sunday, August 2, we served at San Sebastián Church in Sebastopol.

On the hymn board, the gathering song was number 471. There it was again.

The numbers that keeps on Showing 714, 741, and 471

On Saturday, July 25, I gave the talk in Fresno. I shared about my three numbers — 714, 741, and 471 — and how they keep appearing at the turning points of my life. Even on the drive down, to Fresno the exit for Avenue 9 was Exit 147 — the same three digits.

I thought, this is the best day to visit Anita. When I looked up the address, she was only eighteen minutes away from the church.

Hmmm. God is so good.

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When I walked into her room, there on the windowsill, in its gold frame, was the collage — the twin of the one I have kept all these years. The same young woman with the beautiful smile, still watching over her room.

Anita was sitting up in her bed eating a little glass dish of rainbow sherbet — orange, pink, and cream — taking one small spoonful at a time, with the afternoon light coming in through the window.

I sat with her just like before. I prayed the Hail Mary, and she followed along with me. Then I asked her if she had any message for Mother Mary.

She said, “I love Jesus.”

Another Exacto Moment.

Woven by God.

September 2 Wednesday

I got a call and told me her mom is going on down hill at the very moment I decided to go and check her mother.

As l enter her bedroom she was sleeping but on her bedsides is a l pad and Exacto on the Holy Mass.

I was deeply in tears because it leads me once again to the Holy Eucharist

I went home with peace of mind

September 5 Saturday

Her mother was send to the Hospital

September 2, Friday

I got another Message her mom was send to the hospital and transfered to a acute facility and wanted to hire someone to take care of her

Saturday September 13,

Morning 4 am I got her message that I will visit her.

She ask me if I was awake?

I called her, we talk lengthy and exactly on the next day we went to Sing in Sebastapol

I was ironically exacto moments

For we need to reschedule of trip there not on the first week but second week

After singing at the church I went to the facility and met with her daughter

As l was inside that room the first thing she ask is the other picture of Anita. The precious photo

We went out of at the dining area and stayed there

We listen to her. Anne was so happy seeing us

Together holding hand we prayed

Then l told her that while her mom is a dimensional there was an occasion that she prayed the whole Hail Mary to my surprise

Then she told me that her mom spend many years helping the Nuns at the Newman convent and later on volunteered at a church nearby.

The sad part is her moms keeps on telling us she wants to go home

She is actually the place where they live the whole time in Santa Rosa

Before l left Annie remembered me and telling us

I love you