[hutchibk]

I love 'em all! Good stories! My only story that might fit is the one about my mother-in-law about 4 months after she passed away... We were visiting my father-in-law in Florida for a week, and one morning M. and his dad awoke before dawn to take a 1/2 day trip that I wasn't going on with them. So, I slept in his sister's old bedroom so I could sleep in undisturbed. When they were leaving that morning, I awoke in a half-awake fog when I heard the garage door go up. I remember noting that dawn was just breaking as I saw a mild light on the wall that my head was turned toward, and I was sleeping on my stomach. I started to doze off again when suddenly I felt a weight sit down on the end of the bed... I tried to open my eyes and shift and turn to see who it was, figuring that M. was stopping in to kiss me goodbye as they left. Then I heard the garage door go down and the car drive away... but the weight was still sitting on the end of the bed. I tried and tried to wake up and turn over, but I was paralyzed in my position, and then I felt the most gentle and comforting sensation on my back, like some sort of energy was rubbing my back, but without really touching me. It was so loving and gentle that it lulled me to a half-doze again, and I stopped worrying about opening my eyes or trying to turn over. I totally relaxed. It was amazing. And after about 15 seconds, I suddenly knew that it was a visit from M.'s deceased mom. It felt exactly like one of her famous back-rubs. A few seconds later, I suddenly felt the energy that had been rubbing my back and the weight at the end of the bed just evaporate, kind of like it was been suctioned away, but not in a jarring way. At that moment, I was no longer paralyzed and was able to open my eyes, turn over and sit up (like a bolt of lightening!) and I smelled a faint smell of cigarettes (she was a lifelong smoker who died of lung cancer) and her perfume. It was so freaky and so awesome at the same time. I will never ever forget that experience and the feeling of her energy sitting on the bed. It was totally cool.