“Jane, this is my daughter Lisa. Lisa, this is Jane. Jane just moved here from South Africa and I invited her over to get acquainted.”
Jane smiled at me and I smiled back. Jane was in her late 60’s and was very chic and elegantly dressed. I was in my workout gear and sweaty.
Jane said “It’s lovely to meet you Lisa and so gracious of your mother to invite me over.”
I smiled sheepishly. “Please forgive the way I look, I’ve been exercising. It’s really hot out there. And it’s nice to meet you too.”
“You look healthy and fine to me.” Jane smiled.
We both knew in that instant that we were going to be friends. And we were. From that first meeting we adored each other on sight. Despite the age difference we always “got” each other. Even after I left the South we kept in touch and I saw or called Jane whenever I came back to visit my mother.
Two years ago I sent her a holiday card. In January my telephone rang.
“Lisa, this is Jane’s granddaughter Kate. My grandmother wanted me to call and let you know she has been in the hospital, but she got your card and she asked me to tell you that she is thinking about you and loves you very much.”
“Kate is she ok? What happened?” I said in a panic.
Kate replied. “She had a stroke and almost did not make it but I knew something was wrong when I didn’t hear from her that morning. I went to her house right away. We rushed her to the hospital in the knick of time. She is better but will need major rehab and will go to a facility soon.”
“I’m so sorry. Please give her my love and tell her I will be in touch soon.” I hung up the phone and sat in a daze for a long time.
The next time I saw Jane was about 6 months later when I visited her at the rehab facility. At first she looked bewildered and did not recognize me but then she finally did. We talked but it was so strange. Jane was vague and sometimes confused. She had a difficult time walking and moving around as well. It was so hard seeing her like that as she had always been so quick and intelligent. This was not the Jane I knew. I hugged and kissed her goodbye knowing it was probably the last time I would ever see her. I left and drove back to my mother’s home.
My mother took one look at my devastated face and said “Oh Lisa, I’m so sorry.”
I burst into tears and cried for an hour.
Another few months went by and I was working in New York. I was working long hours and fell into a hard sleep. That night I had a very vivid dream. I was at an strange diner and I looked around and there was Jane. She was platinum blonde, (as opposed to her beautiful black hair with gray strands,) and was sitting on a stool. I looked at her in disbelief.
“Jane, it’s Lisa, what are you doing here? Are you ok?”
Jane turned to me and gave me a blinding smile. “Lisa darling, I’m fine! I’m happy and healthy and all is well.”
Something distracted me in my dream and I turned away for a brief second. When I looked back at Jane she was gone. I woke up, sat up and thought, JANE IS DEAD. I felt curiously peaceful though cause she was no longer suffering and was herself again.
I went to work the next day. My cell phone rang about noon with an unfamiliar number on the screen. It was Jane’s grandaughter.
“Lisa, this is Kate. I wanted to let you know my grandmother died two days ago. I misplaced your business card and I just found it.”
I gave Kate my condolences, we chatted a bit and then I hung up. I was not the least bit surprised by the call or by the fact that Kate had just found my card. Jane had been working behind the scenes. She had come the night before to say goodbye to me, let me know she loved me, and tell me that all was well.
The power of love is truly amazing sometimes.
Wow Lisa. This hit home for me. I’m so sorry to hear about your friend’s passing.
A few years ago, I was going to see my sick grandmother in the hospital. I haven’t seen her in quite sometime, and was trying to make it up that following weekend. Like you, I had a dream where my grandmother came up to me and said, “Deb, don’t come up, I won’t be here, I’m happy where I am right now, and I don’t want you to see me like this.”
I woke up very upset over this dream. The morning I was about to go visit her, my mother calls me telling me she passed away. I think she knew I was going to come up anyway.
There are so many stories like this. When someone that you love and that you are close to passes on, they can appear in your dreams and let you know. This is not uncommon. I think it has a lot to do with how open you are to the other side. They basically know ‘it’s okay to give her the message.’ Some people are so closed up, that they don’t receive these messages. It’s subconsciously by choice that we receive these messages.
Very well written story, and it really hit a chord with me. Thanks for being so open and honest.
Very well-written. I had a similar experience myself but I think it was the power of hallucinogens rather than love.
Lisa, that was an awesome story, well written, too.
Goosebumps!
wow…that is all.
Wow, that one blew me away! Truth really is stranger than fiction. Makes me afraid to fall asleep sometimes, though!
Lisa, when my Father was in the hospital a doctor came to tell us that he was not long for this world. My Mother, who, was as sharp and intelligent as anyone I have ever known, saw her Mother standing silently behind her(the doctor). My Mother said that she didn’t say anything, she was just there to let her know that he was in good hands, hers! Gave my Mother great peace. Now they are both in her hands. That gives me great peace. Touching blog BBB. Later
Very, very sorry to hear about your friend. I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. LOL!
I’m sorry to hear about your friend! That was a lovely story. Despite it’s sad ending, I still smiled and thank you for sharing with me us!
It’s never easy to let love ones go, very touching story. Love is definetly there.
That’s a wonderful, touching entry. And gives a calming sense of afterlife too.
Lisa I can relate. My grandmother, who passed away two years ago this month, adored my kids but REALLY loved my daughter because she said she reminded her of me when I was her age. Everyday when my kids awake, I ask them if they had any dreams to tell me about, they never do. Except the day after my grandmother died and I asked my kids that very question my daugher said “I did”. I looked at her with a smile, kinda’ surprised. “She said GG was standing at the end of my bed and she was smiling at me. Then she opened my door and waved to me.” I smiled. I hadn’t told the kids that their GG had passed and somehow I knew that the only person my grandmother would say goodbye to would be my daughter! Then my daughter said, “But mommy, she had blue hair.”. I was doing the dishes and dropped one. At the time of her death, my grandmother had thinning white hair but when she was younger, when I was a baby, her hair was this magnificent silver blue color!
Whenever I dream about something the opposite occurs.
I dreamt I failed the CPA exam and then I found out I passed it.
Not sure that was really a good thing.
Thanks everyone for your kind words. Your stories are wonderful as well! While I still miss Jane, I take great comfort in the fact she is healthy, well and happy. And the fact she came to say goodbye to me meant the world!
There is far more to this world than what we can see with our eyes, and deep connections can never be broken.
Thank you for that dear Lisa.
I’ve never had an experience like this myself, but I know people who have. One person I know had a premonition someone died that he didnt even know well. Why it came to him of all people, we may never know.