reply to post by Lulzaroonie
Reading all of these experiences brings back the memory of what I experienced when my own dad passed away 10 years ago. He had been progressively
getting worse over the last 5 years of his life due to Parkinsons and Alzheimer's to the point where he could no longer walk and was confined to a
wheelchair. Before he lost the ability to walk, he would shuffle his feet since he was unable to effectively lift them due to stiffness in his knees.
It was a distinct sound and we always knew before he entered a room that he was on his way....and laughed as he often got a static shock because of
the carpet.
Fast forward to late December of '01. That Christmas Eve, he had slipped into a coma due to severe dehydration at the nursing home (he had trouble
swallowing liquids). He was taken to the hospital, where he remained in a coma for several more days. On the afternoon of the 29th, I called my mom
and told them I was coming back in to visit him that evening, but she told me to wait until tomorrow because he was awake, alert, and laughing and
joking with her and my brother earlier in the day. She said that as she was walking out of his room he smiled and waved in very playful way. The
doctors said he was doing great and should be released within a week.
That made my day and year for that matter as it had been a sad year and stressful. I went out to dinner with my wife and we came home around 9:00 PM.
We were sitting on the couch for awhile watching the fire in the fire place and both of us, at almost the same instant, said, "do you feel a
chill??" We both had got cold chills, although it was quite cozy in the living room. Within 5 minutes the phone rings and it was my brother, telling
me that dad was slipping away and I should get there ASAP. It was 9:35 PM when we hopped into the car....when we arrived at the hospital he was
already gone. I asked my brother when he died, and he said the time of death was 9:30 according the the doctors. He had been in the wating area
calling my three sisters, and called me last...and wasn't aware he had passed already when he called me. I was devastated, not only at his passing,
but also that since it was suddenly so unexpected so soon, due to his recovery. And of course, I did not get to say goodbye.
We arrived back home at 1:00 AM and of course couldn't sleep....we laid in bed and just chatted and she comforted me...suddenly an all-to-familiar
shuffling sound came from down the hall...(I still get chills as I type this as I did back then)...she turned and asked, "do you hear that?"
"There's someone in the house!" We got up and walked down the hall into the living room where the cat was huddled under the end table and would not
come out (she always came running when anyone was around - very friendly). She definitley was acting weird. The sound stopped and we did not see
anything....we went back to bed, although we left the hall light on due to feeling uneasy now,....and within 5 minutes the sound began again...
By this time we were really freaked out and it was then I realized that it may actually be my dad in the house, and letting me know it was him by the
sound of his feet on the carpet. I was both scared and intrigued, finding it unimaginable. This went on for an hour, off and on....by this time my
wife had closed her eyes and turned on her left side toward the window. I was laying on my back and just closed my eyes to try to get some
rest...within a few seconds the sound abruptly stopped and I opened my eyes to a grey, misty figure leaning over me with his right hand outstretched
within a foot of me....I let out a loud gasp which caused the form to disintegrate and disipate. I knew it was my dad because of the shape of his face
- like a person but without sharp features...but definitely him! we both just sat upright and stared and listened, but the sound or misty figure never
came back again....
I know now that since I never got to say goodbye, my dad came to me to say goodbye. It has made me a believer and I have found much peace in my life
since then....
Sorry so long - but that's my story.........
Thanks for reading....ET