ACCOUNTS OF VISITORS FROM THE OTHER SIDE - NON-LDS

Fits exactly with my limited experiences with that kind of thing when my kid died.

People need to share this stuff to let others know that it is more common than we think!

Monday morning my younger died of a sudden brain aneurism.

It has been a long week of planning his Memorial and I'm writing this before I go.

But last night his best friend of 46 years (who will be performing the eulogy) called me aside to tell me of a dream he had the night before.

The evening earlier I had asked Tony if he felt John was already in Heaven.

Tony said the dream was so vivid- more vivid than any he has ever had before. He asked my brother, "John, are you in Heaven yet?" John was standing by a train station and in a voice that was ever bit that of my brother's said peacefully, "Not yet Tony." It was a peaceful, frank answer and not one of fear.

Tony woke up immediately (comforted by the exchange)and couldn't figure out if John meant that there were a couple of things he was waiting on before he could move on (like perhaps his kids that had to drive from all over the country to get here in time).

This brought to my mind three other encounters I have had over my life and was wondering if anyone else could share if they've ever had anything like this occur to them.

On the night of my younger brother John's birthday party (he was 10 on April 10th and I was about to turn 13 3 days later) my mother placed John's birthday cake on th table and then fell to the floor.

My father and brother quickly put her into bed and called the doctor (This was 1973 when they made house calls). Dr Arrendal arrived quickly and insisted since she had begun to vomit and had an excruciating headache that she be admitted immediately. Within a day there was no brain activity due to the same, sudden cerebral hemorrhage my brother suffered.

The next morning as the family sat numbly and in tears at the breakfast table my father told me that Mom and Grandpa (her father who had passed before her of a stroke) had visited him the night before in the middle of the night.

I was at that teenage rebellious period and felt Dad was making the whole thing up and never believed him for another two decades.

He said that as surely as he sat up in bed Mom and grandpa were in front of him holding hands and there was a beautiful sunset in the background. He said Mom had the most radiating smile of peace and love he had ever seen (even after us 4 kids were born). She told him, "Jim it's going to be okay. It's time for me to say goodbye." And they turned and slowly walked away.

When Dad told this to all of us (the Preacher was present)I think we all smiled and he knew we were just trying to be kind, which made him all the more persistent that this was NOT a dream. It HAPPENED. I still never believed him.

Twenty five years later I was living in Reno, Nevada when I woke upright in the early morning hours. I am not a dreamer- or at least I wasn't back then- I always slept very soundly.

Moments before I observed a very misty ground coverage and although you couldn't see below people's waists (they were all wearing white) they were moving evenly without any body movement such as legs or arms moving. I heard my favorite Aunt say to me very calmly, "I've come to say Goodbye".

To the best of our ability none of us knew she was back in Oklahoma, sick.

She was very calm and though her lips didn't move with the words those words were in my head with the very sound of her voice.

I later found myself trying to explain to people who thought I was crazy that this was REAL- it wasn't a dream!

Two hours later I had gotten the phone call from home that my dear Aunt had passed in her sleep.

Does this happen to others?
Why does it happen?
Does it only happen to Christians (my family is)?
What is the point to this?
What are we supposed to do with this information when it happens?

I realize I am in horrible grief right now but would appreciate some insight as to why some people choose to appear to those they love after they have immediately passed on?