When I was little I was really scared of "ghosts". I put the word in quotes because I now think of them as spirits, but as a child it was scary ghosts. I imagined them appearing to me and reaching out to me while trying to get to the bathroom in the dark at night. I was always afraid of the dark and slept with a light on (as many lights as I could get away with actually). I don't really know where this fear came from. I don't remember hearing ghost stories and I definitely never watched horror movies. As I think about it though...I was afraid of ALOT of things...so why not ghosts!

I was also afraid of death...as most people are...
But I wasn't necessarily afraid of the pain of dying, I was afraid of the thought of being dead...forever. I can't really explain this one other than I was afraid of being in heaven forever. I don't know if I thought I'd get bored or that I was envisioning missing the loved ones I'd leave beind if I died. Whatever the case, I spent a lot of time thinking about death, dying, being dead and ghosts.

I only bring this up because somehow through my fascination with the afterlife, I've come to have a new outlook on death and belief that our loved ones can still make themselves known even after they've passed on. Visions, smells, songs, butterflies, goose bumps, sudden temperature changes in the room, an animal barking at or responding to something you can't see, communication through electronice devices...all examples of how those who've passed gently nudge us to say "hey, I'm still here...in your daily life. I still love you and am not leaving you." Non-believers will call it a coincidence or a fluke or even say it's unexplained...but they will deny it's spiritual activity. Believers say my heart knows they're still here. I will acknowledge the signs they send me to acknowledge their effort in letting me know they're okay. Believers have some peace in knowing they're still a part of their lives. I'd rather choose to be a believer. Plus, on a slightly more comical note, I've always thought to myself...."I don't need no ghosts proving to me they're real! So, I believe you spirits! No need to show yourselves or scare me!" :0)

I'm not exactly sure when my first experience was but I seem to remember something about a night I was being babysat by a slightly elderly lady. I remember she had lost her son recently and was on the phone with a friend talking about him and how much she missed him. I was sitting on her lap and felt her rubbing my back. Only when I turned my head slightly to look back, her hand wasn't on my back. I seem to remember that I had that nervous stomach, anxiety feeling too. Was I sensing her son in the room comforting his mom...and perhaps me too? Because I was so young here, I'm going to say...perhaps it was a fluke thing I imagined. But perhaps...it really happened.

Too be continued with many more examples and stories :0)
My eyeballs are about to close without my permission!