Day of the Dead: A Ghost Story
The Day of the Dead is a Meso-American holiday, but Greg and I have always celebrated it by remembering those who have touched our lives and passed on. Today, I'd like to share a few of my experiences with a ghost I never met.
I'm one of those people who can see ghosts. It's not something I advertise, and for a long time I never discussed it because I didn't want people thinking me weird. But it is what it is, and I'm too old to care what people think anymore.
I'm one of those people who can see ghosts. It's not something I advertise, and for a long time I never discussed it because I didn't want people thinking me weird. But it is what it is, and I'm too old to care what people think anymore.
I was glad when I got married because it gave me a little peace from all the ghosts that lived in the apartment building where I grew up. The ghost traffic was so heavy, it was like living in a subway station.
But I finally got my break when Greg and I married and moved to Texas. Our first home was an apartment in a new building. No ghosts. Whew!
It didn't take long before we bought our first home--complete with its resident ghost. It was an old sea captain's house built in 1903.
At first I didn't notice it, partly because we were so busy fixing up the place. But then Greg started working longer hours and I was alone more often.
Strange things started happening. Groceries were put away before I was ready to move them. If I was getting ready to cook, a can opener or large spoon would appear on the counter.
If it happened today, I would've chalked it up to my faulty memory, but I had no such lapses back then.
And then one day, I walked into the kitchen and a light bulb sparked and fell down. Well, not fall exactly. It FLOATED to the floor. I watched it land softly, my mouth hanging open for several seconds after the fact.
Greg teases me that I must've been so mesmerized that it felt like slow motion, but I know what I saw. The bulb didn't shatter. It's as if someone caught it and placed it on the floor.
Greg teases me that I must've been so mesmerized that it felt like slow motion, but I know what I saw. The bulb didn't shatter. It's as if someone caught it and placed it on the floor.
The next freaky event was one day when I was coming down the stairs. The stairs in that old house were very steep and I had a bad habit of bolting up and down the steps like a wolverine on a rabbit. One day I slipped.
Instead of crashing to the bottom, someone lifted me under my arms and righted me before I stumbled further.
It wasn't until years later that I learned the lady of the house died in her bed of old age. It was definitely a woman's presence I felt. I felt her strongest in the kitchen and the small bedroom where she died.
I think she liked having young people in her house. And she liked me. I only wish I could have talked to her. She was a very kind spirit.
So on this upcoming Day of the Dead, I'd like to remember that sweet nameless ghost who kept an eye on me all those years ago.
Although I didn't care for all the spirit activity growing up in Chicago, I was very fond of my resident ghost in Texas. I hope she knew how much I appreciated her even if we were separated by decades.
Would you mind a benevolent ghost in your house?
I think she liked having young people in her house. And she liked me. I only wish I could have talked to her. She was a very kind spirit.
So on this upcoming Day of the Dead, I'd like to remember that sweet nameless ghost who kept an eye on me all those years ago.
Although I didn't care for all the spirit activity growing up in Chicago, I was very fond of my resident ghost in Texas. I hope she knew how much I appreciated her even if we were separated by decades.
Would you mind a benevolent ghost in your house?
Comments
And, Gah! I missed the workshop this weekend. I should have set an alarm or something. I remembered at about 8:30 that night. :(
You have a great gift.
I worry about the ghosts too. It doesn't seem healthy for them to linger on this plane when their journey here is done.
I wish we could travel together. There's a lot of ghost activity on the USS Lexington, docked and on display in Corpus Christi, Tx.
Maybe next Day of the Dead, I'll talk about what I witnessed there.
***
Sarah: If I were sleeping I could chalk it up to a dream. It's when I'm wide awake that they startle me. :)
Dia De Los Muertos, right? I'm from San Diego which has a large hispanic community. It's fun to celebrate.
I loved this story. Thanks for sharing it, Maria.
Having grown up with these phenomena you kind of accept it as par for the course. It still startles me though--even when they're kind spirits.
I usually ask the ghosts to leave unless it's someone I know. Then I'm torn. I feel they should move on, but I don't want to be rude if they're not ready to go.
Hello, Maria. How are you? I'm so sorry that I've been stuck in writer's cave so long, but I'm out now - and shall be without excuse for the foreseeable future.
As long as the ghost was as you described, I suppose it would be interesting. I'm not sure my wife, kids or cat Jones would agree, however.
-Jimmy
Me? I've never seen a ghost. I don't want to either...so no ghosts in any house I live in, please :)
Ref: writing cave
I understand completely. I'm still swamped myself. I think I need two more weeks to be in the clear and then I can resume my usual frenetic pace.
As for the ghosts, ugh, where do I begin? According to my Grandmother, we've had a ghost around our family for years. Strange things would happen and she and my aunt would blame this poor ferry captain. My personal experience were harmless. In our old place my knitting needles would go missing when I put them down, or the bathroom door would lock on me. The weirdest, was when toaster would unpluged after I used it. No, I didn't do it myself and forget. Then there was SOMEONE talking to Sithboy when he was a toddler and making him laugh.
One thing, I did put up a protection spell around the perimeter of our old place. As harmless as these encounters were, there was something...unsettling too. I woke up in the middle of the night once and as I rolled over, I saw a woman or a young girl standing at the end of our bed. I didn't see her face, but there was enough light coming in from the window that I could make out the shape. I know things went on in that place prior to it being a home and I've always wondered if what I saw was connected to that, or something else.
One of these days I'm going to write a long blog post about that place...
Ref: Sithboy
Although I've seen and talked to ghosts since I was a child, as an adult, I'd rather ghosts leave children alone.
The good thing is at least most of them become blind to the activity when they grow up.
I don't know about the benevolent ghost in my house. I've had one experience and it still scares me to think about. My grandmother's house was haunted and this was a kid ghost who stayed upstairs. I just happened to be sleeping in the bedroom that was his. I was 12. I shiver just thinking about what happened. I really never want to experience something like that again, nice ghost or not.