Saturday, April 7, 2012

G is for Ghostly Encounter




       Although I have never been visited by the bloody ghost of Christmas past, I have had ghostly encounters with my mother since her death and have lived to tell the tale.      Before my mom died, she would often say she intended to come back and haunt me.   She joked about how fun it would be.   We would share a good giggle and go on as people often do. Unfortunately, one day the unthinkable happened and she did die.   Shortly after the funeral, life proceeded and my Dad returned to his job as an over the road trucker and for the first time in my life, I was left utterly alone.  When he left, he turned the lights off in their bedroom and closed the door.  It had also been my mother’s room so I avoided the memories found within like the plague.  She died in the living room, but still that was her room!


      One morning I awoke and smelled the familiar scent of cigarette smoke.  Weird, considering I don’t smoke and I was the only one in the house.  I remember thinking that I was losing my mind.   Since I had to pee, I rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom determined to investigate the cause of the smoke smell after I had relieved myself.  When I reached the hallway, I stopped dead in my tracks.  Not only was the door to my parent’s room standing wide open, the light was on, and the bucket my mother had often used to vomit in during her illness was in the center of the hallway.  A chill raced down my spine as I stared in astonishment at the eerie sight.




       How could this be?? A shiver raced down my spine and my stomach clenched.  I held my breath.  It was impossible, but somehow the light had been turned on.  Somehow, the bucket had found its way to the middle of the hallway.  The familiar fragrance of cigarette smoke lingered as it often had so many mornings in the past as my mom enjoyed her first cigarette of the day.  I nervously laughed, and said to my mother’s spirit “Holy $hit mom, you scared the living be Je$u$ out of me!!!!”  I am sure she was somewhere watching and laughing her a$$ off at me.


     Since then, I have occasionally woken to find her watching over me.   As soon as I acknowledge her presence she flees.  Those visits have dwindled over the years.  There have been times when I have been deathly ill or in extreme pain when I have woken out of a sound sleep to discover her watching over me.  Her presence has always been comforting.  Those appearances I always chalked up to the fact that I probably imagined them in my feverous state.    Still the physical proof of the puke pail in the hallway, the bedroom light being on, and the lingering smell of cigarette smoke are a little hard to claim to an over active imagination or bad pizza.   I was fully awake and the only one in the house.  After all the ghostly encounters, I do believe in spooks until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.



32 comments:

  1. This story gave me goosebumps, Kathy - glad I was reading it in the middle of the afternoon and not late at night. But at least it was simply your Mom watching over you, and not anything more sinister.

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    1. Paula, WOW goosebumps!! That is the ultimate compliment...then I must have told my tale well. I am so pleased you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping in to read and for your comments!!

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  2. I've often felt my parents presence after their passing. Whenever I'm cooking and the door to the garage slips open,(wind pressure from the garage would be the normal person's explanation) I just say, hi mom. I'm glad your mom drops by once in awhile and that you acknowledge her!

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    1. Amy, that is eerie and cool all at the same time. I would want to believe it was you mom too!! Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments.!♥

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  3. seriiously? You didn't make this us? That's incredible. Or I'm gulllible!

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    1. Sandra, honestly no, I didn't make this one up. True story and it kind of freaked me out at the time. I could come up with no explanation for how this could have happened except for a paranormal force causing it. It was pretty startling, and then pretty cool because I realized she hadn't completely left me. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments.

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  4. I've heard many stories of deceased loved ones reconnecting with those still living. Smells associated with the deceased are often reported during the visits. Who knows why these things happen.... but I believe they do.

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    1. Laurie, this experience made me a believer and gave me great comfort because I knew she was still around even though I couldn't see her. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments.

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  5. Intriguing, Kathy... Great post.

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    1. Danneromero, I am so pleased you enjoyed it. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments.

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  6. Chills! This gave me chills!!!!! And, even though it was my mom (were I in your shoes), I don't know if I could get used to it?

    Perhaps because the two of you had joked about if before she died, perhaps therein lies the personal connection to the mom you know and love and not a FREAKING GHOST!!!

    Chills!

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    1. Amy, Something like that only happened the once, and never happened again. After that it was more like I would wake up in the night and feel her or think I seen her by my bed. Those times I could credit it to be maybe being half asleep, or maybe dreaming it. This incident happened first thing in the morning on the way to the bathroom. Very odd. Kind of freaked me out, and maybe that is why nothing that extreme happened again. I don't think she intended to scare me, just as kind of like a joke. It was really nice to know she was near. Thanks for stopping by to read and for your comments.

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  7. I had a friend, many years ago, who smelled flowers when there were no flowers around and no one else smelled anything. She would get very upset when it happened because bad news, like a death or an illness would soon follow. She believes it was a heads-up from someone gone before, though had n idea who. I believe the contact is real and comforting. There is a life after and anyone who has experienced a 'visit' knows that.
    My mom felt my dad's back against her as she woke one night a few days after his passing. She tried to roll over to see, but she couldn't roll past his back. It was very real.

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    1. Jo, it was odd. My mom would always begin her day with a cigarette. At least until she got to sick. Then she couldn't stomach them anymore at the end. She would light up and puff it once and put it out. I had some encounters with my dad too, but nothing as wild as what this was. I would think I would see him, and then he would be gone. He never believed in stuff like that like she did. He thought it was all a bunch of BS. That is so cool about your mom and dad. I really do believe in stuff like this. I watch the Ghost shows on television and some of their stuff looks really authentic, but then some is so staged. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments.

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  8. I find that the smells associated are often the first clue to having someone that has moved on from this world present. Angels to watch over you... at least you recognized who it was, and it didn't scare you for too long :-)

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    1. November Rain, it startled me more than scared me. At first I thought someone had been in the house. The odd think was that pail in the center of the hall way. My folks bedroom door was wide open and the light was on. I know it was not like that when I went to bed. I wanted to believe it was her. In my mind it was a lot less scary that it might be her than that someone had broken into the house. It never happened again. I never smelled the cigarette smoke again. I could imagine her laughing at me. Just really weird. I don't think she would have wanted to scare me, just mess with me. LOL It really happened, and wasn't my over active imagination. Thank you for stopping by to read and comment. I am so pleased you enjoyed my story. :D

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  9. Smells are powerful. I'm glad her presence is a comfort to you. I'd be way too weirded out.

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    1. Shecki, it did weird me out. I missed her so much that it made me really happy. It was like I knew that she was still around. I couldn't see her, but she was nearby watching over me. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments.

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  10. Captivating story, Kathy! I believe you saw what you saw and smelled what you smelled. Kind of eery, yet comforting, I suppose. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Beachlover, thank you for your vote of confidence in my sanity. :D It was eerie, but comforting. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments!

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  11. I believe you. I don't think the dead go too terribly far and have at times felt my parents' presence or heard their words of wisdom in my head. Thanks for sharing.

    Catch My Words
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com/2012/04/atoz-good-golly.html

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    1. Joyce, I often will hear my parents in my head. One time I went out to the cemetery to visit them and before I got to where they are at, my dad's favorite song started playing on the radio and I just felt him there with me. I am so pleased you enjoyed my story. Thank you for stopping by to read and comment!

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  12. I live in a haunted house and I have spirits all around me Kathy so I know this is totally real. It's wonderful that your parents visit with you. My dad has visited a few times. I wish he would visit more. I call to him sometimes and he appears.. It's very comforting to me..

    Great post. :)

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    1. Magical Mystical Mimi, how cool!! I wish my parents would visit more too. I haven't seen them or even dreamed about them in a long time. It is a comfort. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments. I am so pleased you enjoyed my post.

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  13. Wow!!! That would scare me to death!!!! My mom sees my dad in their house all the time.

    Visiting from A-Z
    http://www.tahomabeadworks.blogspot.com/

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    1. JoJo, it did freak me out a little! Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments. I am so pleased you enjoyed my story!

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  14. That's one rocking ghost story!!

    Look forward to your challenge run…
    --Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012

    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge

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    1. Damyanti, I am so pleased you enjoyed it!! I kept waiting for something like that to happen again, but nothing that bizarre happened again. Maybe she just wanted to let me know she was around and not to forget it. :D Thank you for stopping in to read and for your comments!!

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  15. Oooh, this story gave me chills, too, Kathy. I'm with you--I don't see how there could be any "logical" explanation for what happened. I love stories like this because it strengthens my belief that these things do happen. My brother died in January, and on the day of his funeral as we got to the cemetery there was a thunderstorm--in New England in January. Afterward my sister-in-law told me that my brother had loved thunderstorms and that she knew that was a sign that he was with us. It comforted both of us.

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    1. ElaineLK, it is like he wanted you to know he was there watching over you. How cool and comforting. I am so pleased you enjoyed my story. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments!!

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  16. Neither of my parents has "visited" me, although I did hear my mother call my name twice in the hours after she passed. The second time even the cat heard and turned to look. I wish I could feel her presence. I've heard my dad clear his throat from time to time while out in public or see older men whose demeanor and/or physique remind me of him, but nothing more than that. I often envy those who have this experience.

    Visiting from GBE2.

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  17. SJerZGirl, One of these days you may just feel them. I have felt mine the times when I have been really sick and there have been times I have dreamed about them. Those times are few and far between now. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments!

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