This is not a very long story but it is one that has always fascinated me and touched my heart. My dad had a neighbor who lived beside him that was the sweetest 'old' lady. She was always outside tending to her flowers and plants. Whenever I would come over to visit my dad with my sons she would always mosey over and talk to me and tell me how precious my boys were. They always felt so comfortable around her and would give her a big hug when she would come over.
Over the months we noticed that her sons were coming over quite a bit and we didn't see her outside as much. Her youngest son told my dad one afternoon that his mom had cancer and was having a particularly hard time. Her condition just took her over so fast! It was sad to see this sweet woman having to endure so much pain, hindering her from doing what she loved so much - tending to her outside garden.
Late one night an ambulance came and took her away. We were told that she had been taken to hospice and would remain their until she passed. The cancer had just gotten too bad for her to care for herself at home. She was in hospice care for about a month before she finally passed on.
A couple weeks later my dad had to go away on a business trip. I told him I'd watch the house for him while he was away. One day as I was passing through his living room, something caught my attention from the corner of my eye. I looked out the front window toward the direction of the movement and right before my eyes, plain as day was Bernice, my dads neighbor who had passed away a couple weeks earlier! She was in her driveway looking at the plants in front of the house. This probably lasted only 30 seconds and just as quickly as I saw her, she was gone. I had to see this for myself to make sure it wasn't somebody else. I ran outside and walked completely around the house twice and didn't see a soul (pardon the pun). I smiled to myself and went back to my dads. I know in my heart it was her. I didn't feel sadness. I had a feeling of peace as I left her property.
I immediately told my dad about this when he got back from his trip. After I finished telling him my story he just looked at me kind of shocked. He went on to tell me that before he left for his trip, he had spoken with Bernice's youngest son - who was very close to her. He told my dad that he told his mom before she passed that he wanted her to give him a sign that she was at peace. My dad, who is a major skeptic, felt compelled enough to give me her son's number so I could call and tell him. I waited a day or so before calling. How would you react if somebody you didn't know calls out of the blue to tell you that he just saw your deceased mother? I finally did call and tell him what had happened.
He was quiet for a moment and with tears in his voice, said thank you, thank you so much. He didn't think I was crazy at all.
Looking back, I am so glad that I did tell him. I feel that maybe that that was her way of using me to relay to her family that she was happy and had in fact moved on.
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