The Dearly Departed…..or are they?

Mother Goose definitely does not specialize in ghost stories or Halloween stories — I half-heartedly acknowledge the day, passing out the candy and then shutting the door tightly against marauders and such, you know.

But Mother Goose has recently been reminded of several incidents just within our family circle of deceased and departed loved ones being seen and oddly experienced long after they have been deceased and departed. My sources are reliable which makes the stories they tell even more mysterious. These family members are not prone to deceit or malice or even exaggeration, and so we must believe their stories — strange as they may seem.

The Return of Big Jim
Mark’s mother and father sadly passed away within two months of each other, leaving their home to their four grown children who elected to sell the house. A nice family bought the house in the quiet neighborhood, but occasionally they had a visitor to the family room in the basement. They asked the folks next door, “Who used to live here? We’ve seen a big white guy sitting in the big recliner chair downstairs.”

Mom’s Up Early This Morning
My own precious mother passed away four years ago. A couple of weeks after her departure from this world, my sister-in-law Linda got up during the night. There was Mom sitting at the dining table having her early morning cigarette and coffee. She immediately vanished, but her bedroom door frequently opens by itself.

The Case of the Bad Auntie
My sister’s husband Allen lost his mother at an early age. He saw her occasionally though, and often when he needed something important for school, it would suddenly be there for him. For some time, he was cared for by his aunt — an unkind person who didn’t care much for Allen. One day when she was being especially mean, a figurine fell from the shelf and landed on her head. Moms always take care of their kiddos, don’t they?

“It’s OK, Mom. I’m here.”
My dear Grandma and Grandpa lost their youngest son, Eugene or Geney, when he was only thirteen years old. He died of unnatural causes in their farmhouse — a horrible family tragedy. In their grief, they left their hometown and bought a fixer-upper resort over a hundred miles away. But sorrow follows like a shadow, and my grandma was desperately grieved at Geney’s passing. He was such a good son with a great outlook on life — he was active in church and always helpful and kind to anyone in trouble. He played the piano and the organ and sang in the choir. He played Little League baseball, and he was a natural on horseback. He was the ideal son. But now he was gone, and Grandma endured a long cold Minnesota winter without him. But one afternoon in the spring as she was looking out the front window of the lodge, she saw Geney walking across the lawn in his rolled up Levi’s and white T-shirt, his signature apparel. He looked towards her, waved and kept walking as if to say “I’m alright Mom. Don’t worry about me.” The great burdens of depression and grief were lifted from Grandma’s shoulders from that day forward.

Dear gentle reader, how do we explain these sightings and experiences? Surely they are as true as Mother Goose sitting at her laptop right now! We believe in an afterlife, and surely there is a place of rest for those who believe in Christ’s salvation. And yet….here are souls who have stopped back in after they’ve left. I suspect everybody has a similar story to tell, and I invite you to share with Mother Goose. Who’s been back to visit you?