Seeing Ghosts...
and Ghost Pets

Do you believe in seeing ghosts? How about ghost pets? Me either; well at least I didn’t until my sister died and here’s my story.

I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt when you speak to me, because I respect what others believe even if I don’t believe it myself. I hope you will do the same for me. I did not believe in seeing ghosts, the afterlife or heaven until I was in my early thirties. What changed my mind? Well, my sister was hit by a bus on her way home from work.

It was horrendous. They would tell us nothing except she was in the Intensive Care Unit and none of the family was allowed to go in to see her. Late that night when I finally fell asleep, I had a dream that didn’t feel at all like a dream. I felt my sister’s spirit hovering over my bed as we spoke. She said she didn’t want to leave her son. She wasn’t ready to go yet, but she was so weak, she didn’t think she could hold on. I told her to take my strength. To take everything she needed from me so that she could live and then I fell asleep in exhaustion.

The following day I went to the hospital to see my sister. We still weren’t allowed in ICU, but I boldly walked in anyway just like I belonged there. If I hadn’t seen her name on the chart at the end of the bed, I wouldn’t have recognized her. How could she be alive? The thought occurred to me that maybe I should consider the real possibility of seeing ghosts. After a nurse spotted me with my head between my knees, and kindly ushered me out, she called a doctor to come talk to me.

It turned out that my sister had been in surgery most of that first night. She had 37 broken bones, some in as many as 6 places and she’d had internal bleeding from her spleen that they hadn’t found at first so they almost lost her. “Almost lost her?” This seeing ghosts thing was starting to really scare me.

A few days later when my sister was sedated but awake, we talked. She had to write with her unbroken arm since her jaw was wired shut. I didn’t want to put any ideas into her head so I just asked her what happened during surgery. She told me that she’d left her body and was floating overhead watching the doctors and listening to them. They didn’t think she’d make it. I asked if she’d come to see me and she wrote, “Oh yes!” Amazing. The skeptical me had just been shaken to the core. After several more surgeries and nine months in the hospital, my sister no longer remembered that first night, so I rarely tell anyone about it.

Do I still believe in seeing ghosts? Oh yes, and here’s why. I started noticing things. Little things I’d always sloughed off. I’ve never seen a ghost clearly, but I believe others are seeing ghosts. For me it’s more of a feeling; a presence; hearing a voice in my head or smelling something that reminds me of that person. Not very convincing is it?

One time I was walking around a nursery and I smelled the unmistakable smell of my grandmother’s garden. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I drank in the fragrance. I hadn’t even known I’d remember it. Then it was gone. Was my Yaya there with me or did I just remember the smell? I spent the next 30 minutes sniffing every plant in the place to find where that smell came from, but it wasn’t there. The nursery employees were probably glad to see me, the crazy plant sniffer lady, leave.

Ghost Pets

Roughly ten years after my sister's trauma, my 17-year-old cat Roscoe passed over. Often I would feel him sleeping against my leg as he’d always done. I’d wake up and look, but I never saw him. I wanted to think he was there, but I still thought it was more wishful thinking than reality. I didn’t talk about it until the night, unable to sleep; my 7-year-old daughter came into my room and told me Roscoe was sleeping against my leg! From the mouths of babes. After that, whenever I’d feel him, I’d just say, “I love you Roscoe,” and go back to sleep.

Roscoe doesn’t visit often now. It’s been ten years or so since he passed and the dogs I have don’t seem to like him. I am convinced my dogs are seeing ghosts when they seem to be growling or barking at nothing. Why? Several times, as I’d feel that familiar feeling of my cat settling down against my leg, my current dogs would begin a low growl. I guess they didn’t want to share the bed.

And I’ve saved the best for last. If you haven’t read the story about my sweet dog Isaac, please do. That boy was a hoot. While I was writing the story about him for you, a funny thing happened. Once again, I kind of sloughed it off. You see, my computer sits next to the back door so I can let dogs in and out without getting up from my chair (and with five dogs, there is a lot of in and out going on.)

Here's a picture of Issac with my daughter.

Now it takes me anywhere from one to five days to write a page for you and writing about Isaac was a hard one for me. Several times I saw a dog in my peripheral vision and a few of those times I leaned over to open the door for that dog; but when I faced the door, there was no dog there! What could I do but say, “Isaac, if that’s you, I love you!”

The night I finished my Isaac story and was proofreading it, it happened again. I turned to my husband on the sofa and said, “Did you by any chance just see a dog at the back door?”

“Yes,” he answered hesitantly (because he HATES talking about this kind of stuff.)

“I can’t see it clearly but about the color of Moo or Helen. What I don’t understand is why he doesn’t just come in. It's so sad. Why would a ghost dog stand outside when he can walk right through the door?”

My tears fell like rain. My husband hates this and he thought he’d upset me. “It’s okay,” I told him. “I’ve seen him several times this week and now it makes perfect sense. He's probably figured out by now that my seeing ghosts ability isn't very good, so its my clue. You didn’t know Isaac, but that’s how I met him. He was just sitting at my door waiting to be part of my family. Now I think he's letting me know he's doing just fine. My tears aren't sad tears."

Then I wondered to myself, "And maybe he's telling me he'll be waiting for me at Rainbow Bridge."

~ ~ ~

Have You Ever Seen a Ghost Pet?

Have you seen or heard ghost pets? Did you tell others or keep it a secret? Share it here. You can use your whole name or first name only. Sharing helps. The first story is from a reader who sent me her special story by email. I was so touched, I asked if I could post it here and she said yes!

And now you can post one too!

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