I never believed ghosts, telling fortunes, or communicating with the dead, but now I feel that I am starting to open up to the possibility. It all started a few weeks ago when I had a dream about my brother who passed away in January 2015. In my dream he was alive and well. I said to him, “I thought you were dead.” He replied, “No, the doctor is giving me shots in the chest.” I felt so relieved to know that he was still alive and then I woke up. It felt so real that I wanted to go back to sleep and continue the dream. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to tell him about all the things that have happened over the past 15 months. Of course, I was unable to go back to sleep and continue that dream. Over the years, I have dreamed about my parents and grandparents who have passed too, and a few times those dreams have made an impression like this one. The next day on Facebook in my news feed I see a post that asks,”Have you had a visit from a deceased loved one in a dream?” It said to find out if it was just a dream or visitation to click here. I clicked, but it would not go to the website. All I got was a white screen. I then decided the heck with this and went on to something else. Later on I started to think about it again, and went back on-line. I Googled “dream visits from loved ones”. Well, I got a lot of information. I read for a while and then went on to other things. The next day I checked the library catalog to see if we had books on the subject and sure enough there were several books on the subject so I checked out two. According to what I have read, they try to contact you in dreams, though animals, flowers, electrical things, etc. Now I’m looking for signs that my loved ones are trying to contact me. It would be just like my brother to contact me through Facebook. May be seeing a post about dream visitations on Facebook was a sign from him, letting me know that he did visit me in that dream. I’ve read that there are many signs all the time, but if we aren’t looking for it we won’t see them. Well, I’ve been looking and a little disappointed that nothing has happened since the dream.
Carole J. Obley, a medium, writes in her book I’m still with you, “If a client or someone in his family is doing family genealogy, this will also be mentioned as proof that they are aware of the fact. Sometimes spirits will assist in tracing the family tree by offering suggestions on where to find critical information. One of my male clients had numerous relatives come through with very specific messages; in fact, his session probably holds the record for the number of names received in one sitting — not to mention the amount of evidential material these talkative spirits delivered. Halfway through the session, I commented on how many people showed up to speak with him. He laughed, adding that he’d written 40 books about his family tree!”[1]
Thinking about Ancestors wanting us to find them, reminded me of an experience I had a few years ago. I went to a cemetery where my great-grandfather is buried. I never knew him, my father never knew him. In fact, my father only knew his name, that’s all. I had very little information to go on when trying to find this man, and I was having a hard time finding him. When I went to the cemetery, I wasn’t sure if this person was my great-grandfather or some one with the same name. I went to the cemetery office to find out where his grave was located. The man helping me pulled a book off the shelf and opened it right to the page that had my great grandfather’s name. We both were surprised and kind of laughed at the coincident. He told me where his grave was located, but said it did not have a tombstone. I asked if there was information in the book as to next of kin or anything, and he said no. I then thought if I could find out who paid for the lot it could give me a lead. I asked who owned the lot. The man said that information was in another book, and he proceeds to get another book off the shelf. He opens that book up right to page my great grandfather’s name is on. At that point the man’s eyes got big and he said, “Oh my, grandpa really wants you to find him.” It turned out that the grave was a pauper’s grave paid for by the State of Illinois. After all that, I still didn’t know if it was my great-grandfather. I have since found out that it is him. So was that great-grandpa trying to tell me it was him? I don’t know, but I am starting to wonder more about these kind of things. Since I have always been a skeptic, I’m wondering if this is old age setting in, or am I losing my mind?
I have always felt disappointed that my current family doesn’t care to hear about the ancestors and my latest find. I am all alone with my genealogy. I can’t find anybody even a distant relative that is interested. I had my DNA done through Ancestry.com in hopes of finding a 4th, or 5th cousin working on the same line. Again a big disappointment. Now I am hoping it’s true that maybe the ancestors who have passed on do care and are rooting for me to find them!
Copyright© 2016 Gail Grunst
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[1] Obley, Carole J., I’m still with you (Winchester, UK: O Books, 2008) pg. 127
Family Tales from Gail 