I'm convinced that spirits manifest themselves around loved ones they're concerned about, and I've had several experiences that seem to confirm that.
One of these happened at a meeting. It was business, and one of the young men who had just been working at a new leadership position was speaking. It was pretty mundane stuff, but his stance had everything to do with maintaining integrity and having a morality about what we were doing. This was not a wholly popular stance to take, but it seemed to be going over well and he was very calm.
As I watched and listened, I got the distinct impression of a presence standing behind him just over his right shoulder. It felt female but the age was very hard to place. From the emotion coming off him and her, I was fairly certain this spirit had once lived, but maybe not for very long since the light I felt was more pure than what I've felt from spirits who had some damaging experiences. She was a very calming and innocent force and her focus was fully on him.
She lingered awhile even after he finished, but as soon as someone brought up a new topic, I couldn't feel her anymore. I never told him, but I think he didn't need to know.
**
Upon my return to Arizona, I made a very good friend. She's my own age, and was starting her first year teaching after her graduation from college. Things were changing for her, and she was far from home too with a whole lot of responsibility she never had before. We got close enough that one evening I was helping in her classroom and she was venting her emotions freely. It was doing her a lot of good, and I'm used to supporting people like this.
She was talking herself in circles and started to go downhill when she suddenly sobered a little and slowly pulled up out of her emotional nosedive. Her comments got lighter, and while her situation was still stressful, she acted like she had a better perspective all of a sudden. I don't have much control over tuning into the presence of spirits unless they clearly want attention, but I gave a little effort this time and felt three distinct spirits positioned behind her as she sat at her desk. I know there were two women and one man with her, and they seemed to have a smiling disposition about them. Their relation to her was unclear, but I do know they had some physical connection though it didn't feel like a near-family relation. It may have been an extended family relative connection, but not one she was close to in their lives.
I mentioned this to her and, while the idea made her pause, I felt that I'd had the choice to say something or no and that what they meant to do they had already done.