[We received two short stories almost the same day concerning appearances by departed loved ones. We thought we would run them in the same article since they tend to reinforce each other.]

My dad and I were extremely close, so when he died it was very hard on me. But when he was in the hospital, I acted toward him in a way that now makes me feel horrible. This was the first time I'd ever acted frustrated or downright uncaring toward my daddy. So when he passed away, I felt as though someone had ripped my heart out and I couldn't stand it. My dad had died and I hadn't told him how much I loved him, how much I appreciated him and everything he'd done for me. I'd always taken him for granted.

The day after his funeral, I was lying on my bed half asleep when I clearly saw him standing at the foot of my bed. He was wearing a light blue suit and he looked very well. I asked him if he was happy and he answered, "Very!" He smiled at me and then he was gone. Afterward, I felt such a sense of peace. I was relieved that he knew how much I loved him, and I understood that he had forgiven me for the way I acted toward him.

Crystalene Springer
CrystaleneS@marcusevansbb.com

My grandmother recently passed away. She was ninety-one years old and was very close to all of us, especially me since I was her "favorite" grandchild. I stayed with her for about ten hours while she was unconscious. During this time, I told her that after she went I wanted her to come to me and let me know that she was OK. An hour after I left the hospital, I heard that she had passed away. It was hard for all of us. In her casket I placed a cross that I had wanted to give her for Christmas but could not. I also said a prayer at her funeral.

After I got home, I napped for about an hour. When I woke up, I looked around and saw that it was very dark. I was lying on a quilt she made me, on a couch that used to be hers, facing a television that had been hers also. Almost immediately there was a glowing image of my grandmother in front of the black television. She was as clear as day, looking at me, smiling, and nodding her head. Then the image disappeared. I ran upstairs to tell my mother, babbling because of the shock of what I had just seen. The appearance gave her a lot of comfort, and gave me another outlook on life and what comes next.

Mike Shreve
Shrever6984@cs.com

Posted January 25, 2005