As the old adage states “seeing is believing.”  But, is it possible that we cannot always believe that which we see?  On October 13, 1917 in a field in an area of Fatima, Portugal called Cova da Iria, a crowd reported by accounts of the time at anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 people witnessed what would be officially accepted thirteen years later as a miracle by the Roman Catholic Church.  The “Miracle of the Sun,” as it has become known was described by witnesses as the sun “dancing” or “trembling” in the sky.  Yet, while many people did “see” this event, some observed nothing out of the ordinary.

 

Recently, an event occurred in my own home that had me questioning whether or not I could “believe” that which I saw.  My wife, having passed away early this past summer, I now reside alone – unless, of course, you count my faithful canine companion Rocco.  One evening last week, as I sat in my living room watching a movie on television, my attention was turned toward the spinet piano on the far wall of the room.  To my surprise, standing next to the piano was a young girl who appeared to be about eight years of age.  With sandy brown hair and wearing a skirt, she stood silent and motionless.  I spoke to her, and she turned and smiled at me.  Thinking that someone had entered the house, I turned my gaze to the front door, but it was shut tightly and bolted.  Turning back, my uninvited visitor was gone.

 

It is believed by some that houses and objects can retain the vibrations of those who have left this plane of existence.  I am the third owner of this sixty-something year old home and know that no young girl ever resided here.  Yet, the piano that I bought at the behest of my wife was not new at the time of purchase.  Could the girl that I saw be the spirit of someone who played and loved that piano sometime in the distant past?  And, if so, why has this spirit been made manifest at this time?

 

Perhaps, the explanation lies in the changes that have occurred since my wife’s passing.  In an effort to remove the clutter and refresh my living space, my youngest son has taken it upon himself to redo the interior of my house one room at a time.  In conjunction with this project and since I do not play the piano, I had made the decision to part with it.  Yet, when my son and two helpers attempted to move it, they could not.  Did disturbing the piano provoke the young girl’s appearance?

 

At this point, perhaps you’re thinking that I’m going off the deep end – that I simply imagined it or was dozing on the couch and concocted the image in that twilight reality between sleep and wakefulness.  And, you may be right.  Yet, like the faithful tens of thousands who witnessed the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, I firmly believe that the spirit I saw was real.

 

And, should she return, I plan to investigate her story and what lies beyond.    If I do, you’ll be reading it right here on Write On New Jersey.

 

 

Do you believe in Ghosts?  I do! There is a great deal of truth conveyed in the old adage “seeing is believing.”  And, having been visited by my grandmother about six years after she passed away made a believer out of me.  Since then, I’ve taken to reading ghost stories (true accounts) and have gone on Ghost Tours in the many cities I have visited.  Other than seeing the apparition of my grandmother, I cannot report any such striking experiences with the paranormal.  Yet, in everyday life, I am frequently reminded of my connection with family members who have passed from this plane of existence.

 

In 2000, my mother, Rita, died suddenly.  We were very close and still are.  Although I do not see her, I know she is there, and, more significantly, she has a unique way of conveying to me that which she wants me to know.  Shortly thereafter, in 2002, my cousin Robert died, also suddenly.  He was only 43 years old and the youngest in our family of 10 cousins.  After his death, his sister, for reasons unknown to me, visited a psychic.  Although many people choose to employ psychics to communicate with deceased loved ones, I have and would never consider doing it.  I believe in letting my mom rest in peace.  If she wants to reveal something to me, I know that she will do so. 

 

When my cousin’s session with the psychic ended, she phoned me immediately.  She was anxious to tell me that the psychic indicated to her that my mother and her brother were together, they often go to my aunt’s house in Wildwood, and there were several things that my mother wanted my cousin to tell me.  Most of what my cousin told me was just a confirmation of things I had been telling my sister about our mom since her death.  At the end of our conversation, she mentioned that my mother wanted me to give my cousin a ring that was in her jewelry box.  For the longest time, I could not even think of parting with any of my mother’s belongings; so, I just ignored that portion of what my cousin had said.  Neither she nor I brought the subject up again.

 

In May, around the time of my cousin’s birthday, I told my sister that I was thinking of going through my mom’s jewelry box to see if I might discover the ring she wanted me to give our cousin.  I’ve been through the box many times and often wear my mom’s jewelry but have never had any serious thoughts about giving my cousin a ring.  My sister, a non-believer in psychic phenomena just said “do what you want.”  As soon as I opened the box, I knew – without a doubt – the ring that my mom wanted me to give my cousin.  “It’s this one!” I said as I handed the pretty gold initial ring to my sister.  Neither I nor my sister had ever seen this ring before.  From where it came is a mystery to both of us.  One thing is certain:  it did not belong to our mother.  We both agreed, however, that our cousin should have it.  Why were we so sure that this particular ring was the one which our mom wanted us to give to our cousin?   The ring, you see, was configured as the initial “D” and our cousin’s first name is Diane – the only of the 10 cousins whose name begins with a “D.”

 

If you doubt in the existence of the spirit world, remember the story of this ring.  It should make a believer out of you.

We get into the strangest conversations at our Whine and Wine gatherings. The particular Whine and Wine that I am about to relate was hosted by Stephanie, our newest member.  She had lost her brother a couple years ago, and as we had been friends with him at one time, the subject of afterlife and spirits came up at our little get-together.  The pure mention of ghostly sightings totally freaks me out and makes me bolt for the door. The other girls in our circle, however, love nothing better than a good ghost story and relish every scary detail of an encounter retold.  On the night in question, one of the girls made mention of a freaky encounter in a small, foreboding town in South Jersey, with a car chasing them through town for no good reason and then suddenly disappearing just as they’d gained the city limits.  Another lady mentioned her experience of being awoken from a dead sleep with a cold rush of air, only to find her Grandmother, who was no longer of this earth, standing by her bedside!  After we freaked each other out a bit, we continued on with tales of otherworldly spirits and ghostly encounters all night as the moon rose higher in the night sky.  However, we had much more planned for our little get together.

 

The company that manufacturers and markets the “I’ve Never…Game of Outrageous Truth” card game graciously gave us some fabulous prizes for our Whine and Wine ladies.   Rather than simply hand out these gifts, I made the ladies work for them. So, I sent out a notice to everyone attending that we were collecting tabs from cans of beer and soda for the Ronald McDonald House.  This is the charity established by that other famous “burger king,” that provides a home-like atmosphere for families with children diagnosed with cancer, who must take treatment far from their own homes.  The charity recycles and resells beer and soda can tabs in order to funnel the resulting funds into whatever is needed to continue with their worthy mission.  So, when the ladies arrived with bags of tabs in hand, I was more than happy.  The winner of the evening was Sandy, who received the fabulous “I’ve Never…” Card Game and “Blow Job” shot glass. We also had prizes for the 2^nd and 3^rd place winners, who received the hilarious “Sex on the Beach” and “Screaming Orgasm” shot glasses as well as huggies for their beer steins.  A sense of decorum (ahem) prevents me from telling you what was printed on those huggies.

 

Obviously, we also played our “I’ve Never…” game. I think we may have enjoyed ourselves just a tad too much, because the police arrived shortly after we began the game.  Apparently, we were laughing so loudly at each other’s shocking answers that one of the neighbors sent the cops over to see if all was well. Or maybe, they were just a little jealous that they had not been invited to partake in the fun!

 

Even though the evening started out a bit creepy, it ended with some great laughs.  Having said that, I would like to hear you thoughts on the supernatural.  Do you believe in ghosts?  Share your supernatural stories with us.  If you need some “Sex on the Beach” to get your creative juices flowing, have one on us!