Getting Through The Holidays

Several years ago, after my mother had died, my father had predeceased her, I was very depressed. I would walk my dogs two to three times a day to "think" and kind of get rid of anxiety I had, especially at Christmas time.

One particular evening about 10 pm, I was walking, and as I got close to home, mind you it was pretty warm, about 80 degrees, well my Husky got all frisky, and started dancing in circles and whining, something he did when he saw someone he knew. My mother loved the Husky very much. Well, the dogs, the Husky, the spaniel, and the pit/mix, all started barking at something ahead of me. I walked ahead and entered an invisible cold mist that was about 10 feet wide by 20 feet long, the air outside of the cloud was warm. I smelled a strong odor of the after shave, 'Old Spice', which was my father's after shave. My only dog that knew my father was the spaniel yet the other two dogs were excited to enter this cloud. I felt very calm after I proceeded ahead out of this misty cloud, as if my parents were somehow this cloud and going for a walk as well. I still get a little sad during the holidays, but I feel that the dogs knew that these were the spirits of my parents and everything was okay and not to worry.

My father's favorite song was Petula Clark's 'Downtown', and whenever I think of my dad, that song will appear suddenly on the radio. One time it was the first song on the radio alarm on a station that primarily plays rock. Another time it came on the radio when I parked the car to place flowers on my parents' grave. It is kind of a reminder to not worry, there is peace for loved ones who have died. Holidays are indeed hard to get through without loved ones around, but when inexplicable events occur, they help you accept their passing.

D. Wethington,
Pt. St. Lucie, Florida