In this post, “Remembering Robin: An Afterlife Communication Story,” I write to honor Robin’s spirit on the 14th anniversary of his passing on May 20, 2026. I would also like to share a story about signs from Robin’s spirit and lessons I learned during the period my husband was undergoing treatment for ocular (choroidal) melanoma in October 2025. Perhaps someone reading this has had experience with this type of eye cancer and if not, this post also serves as a message of education and awareness.
We are always connected to spirit when we are aware of this and when we are not. No health challenge can change this.
Here is our story.
Health Challenges 2025
My husband was diagnosed with choroidal melanoma in the summer of 2025 after receiving opinions from three ophthalmologists.
Choroidal melanoma is a rare eye cancer and requires specialized treatment by experts who are specifically trained in this area. According to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, it is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults. But it is also extremely rare. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, ocular melanoma occurs in about five out of every million adults.
Choroidal melanoma can be diagnosed without doing a biopsy. Biopsies of the choroid present a small chance of spreading the cancer cells, so my husband did not want to take that chance.
We were caught off guard by this diagnosis as neither one of us had ever heard of anyone having melanoma of the eye which makes sense because it is rare as I mentioned. He had been doing well for many years, with doctors monitoring a freckle otherwise known as a nevus since 2020. We had expected things to continue this way, bringing a positive attitude to the situation.
But when the freckle was diagnosed as cancer, we went through all the stages of grief that a couple goes through when facing a cancer diagnosis. We knew we had caught the melanoma early because his eye had been closely monitored, so that was a blessing. Still, we were concerned about the future of his eyesight.
His ocular oncologist recommended the treatment of plaque brachytherapy to stop the growth of the tumor. The procedure, which involved placing a radioactive plaque in his eye for one week, was scheduled for October 20, 2025. While he had the plaque in his eye, he was advised that he would need to wear a lead patch over his eye to protect others from low levels of radiation.
The procedure was to take place in a hospital in a city that was a three-and-a-half-hour drive from our home. We hired a transportation company to drive us there the day before on October 19.
Buttercups from Spirit
Prior to us being picked up on this day, I spent a few quiet, solitary moments with Robin’s spirit. I held his picture that I kept at his altar table. I only said a few words. I looked at his picture and said, “Buttercups would be a good sign.” I said this because I had recently spent time looking at the photos of his yellow buttercup meadow that I took during my pilgrimage to Thame in 2024. I can’t believe that was two years ago as of this writing on May 18, 2026.
After a few more moments of quiet reflection, I put his picture back on his altar, got our suitcases together and waited for our ride.
On the way to our hotel where we were going to be staying for the duration of my husband’s treatment, he got to talking with our driver about music he enjoys. It lifted his spirits to talk about music. He likes a lot of “old school” R&B soul music.
The next thing I know is that he started talking about a band called Chairmen of the Board, and said he liked the “build me up buttercup” song. I felt a little shiver run through me because one, I had just asked Robin for “buttercup” as a sign and two, my husband never, ever mentions that song. So, I thought, “Ok, good job Robin!” I didn’t expect the sign to come that way, but hey, you never know how loved ones in spirit are going to show up.
“Build Me Up Buttercup,” was sung by The Foundations, not Chairman of the Board but in my husband’s mind, they are similar groups capitalizing on the pop-soul sound of the 60’s and 70’s.
I didn’t say anything to my husband about how Robin was delivering the sign I asked for, through him. I quietly kept that information to myself. He was preparing for and concentrating on the serious eye surgery he was about to face. But I felt grateful knowing Robin’s spirit and the greater spirit of love was with us, comforting and guiding us, through music.
The radioactive plaque was placed in his eye on October 20, 2025. For the week following this, it was my responsibility to gently place antibiotic ointment in his eye twice a day to prevent infection. That was a little scary for me, given the outer eye tissue was inflamed and red after the procedure.
During the evening of October 22, 2025, I invited my husband to sit down so I could put the ointment in his eye before he went to bed. He sat down and I asked him if he was ready. He said, “Yup, let’s go buttercup!”
Well, you know what I thought at that moment? There was the sign I asked for from Robin again. That was “buttercup” showing up two times within approximately 4 days, both in association with my husband’s surgery.
I paused and looked at my husband for a moment, amazed that spirit was still working through my husband even when he was in pain and had a radioactive plaque in his eye! I still did not tell him about the sign because if he knew, then Robin’s spirit couldn’t use “buttercup” as a sign anymore.
I could tell that Robin’s spirit was connecting with my husband’s energy to deliver the sign I quietly requested. My husband never calls me “buttercup,” so his words really stood out as a message coming from Robin.
Remembering Robin: An Afterlife Story and Lesson
The main lesson I learned from these communications is this: While experiencing a health challenge, we are still spiritual beings, still connected to spirit, and quite capable of delivering a message from a loved one in spirit! We can do this and not even know we are doing this, just like my husband was doing and did not know.
Let us always remember who we really are as both physical and spiritual beings whose essence can shine through our physical vehicle, no matter what challenges our body is going through. When we are sick or a loved one is ill, let us not define ourselves or our loved one only by what is going on with our physical health as if we no longer have our strengths or capabilities. We, or our temporarily infirmed loved one, could be a spiritual messenger of the highest order just when we think they are at their lowest point.
I didn’t consider this at the time I asked in October, but I’m really glad I asked Robin for the sign of buttercups because of what they symbolize. According to Shan Waston in an article called, “Buttercup Symbolism: Meaning, Spiritual Insights, and Cultural Significance,” buttercups symbolize hope, emotional healing, and optimism.
These were qualities that my husband and I needed during this challenging time, not in the form of spiritual bypassing or toxic positivity, but as a way of bringing some light into the literal darkness represented by my husband’s temporary loss of vision.
You could say that I carried the buttercups from Robin’s meadow in Oxfordshire within me on this 10-day trip for my husband’s eye surgery!
Health Challenges: Positive Aftermath
My husband has recovered from the eye surgery as of this writing in May 2026. The radiation treatment was deemed successful because the tumor has regressed in size and is no longer showing the signs of being active which were present before the radiation treatment. He can see well, drive, and participate in his normal activities. He has follow-up every 6 months with his ocular oncologist and primary care physician.
During this time of my husband’s diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, I did not feel like writing. I was tired and overwhelmed with a lot of responsibilities being his primary caregiver. I needed time to process the events we had been through. Instead, I took art classes and painted which gave me a mental break. I enjoy paint by numbers and some of my own designs.
I recently created this painting of Robin below in honor of his 14th anniversary in spirit. You can see the original photo I worked from here. Most of Robin’s fans will recognize the bright pink suit because it’s a well-known photo.
I sketched in graphite pencil first and then I used acrylic paint, markers, and gel pens. I always enjoy painting or drawing Robin which helps me work on my skills and connect with his energy:
© 2026 Christina Samuels
Even when I’m not writing, my soul connection with Robin remains strong and enduring. I still experience heart-touching synchronicity and signs from his spirit. I keep a small altar table for him as I have done since 2012.
I am in the process of transforming this blog into a book. I won’t be blogging here as much as a result. I will be turning 60 years old this year and with this comes the realization that this blog will not be around forever. When I first started communicating with Robin in 2012, I was 45 years old. So much time has gone by. At this point, it makes sense to preserve the work we have done here in a permanent form.
Thank you very much for reading this post! I hope you continue to enjoy the music of Robin and the Bee Gees and the beautiful memories they gave us!
Until next time, be well!
Love,
Featured Image: Robin Gibb’s buttercup meadow, May 20, 2024, © 2024 Christina Samuels