After a long battle with emphysema, my mom died a few hours after Christmas Day 2002. Her doctor had told Dad a year before that she wouldn't make it to Christmas, but there in the hospital she fought hard, and as if to show the doctor he was wrong, she waited until 2:20 AM on the 26th to take her last breath. That was a sad Christmas, keeping vigil at Mom's bedside as she lay comatose, her breathing labored. Especially for my dad who had been married to her for 45 years. Their life together had been a wonderful one. She was the center of his life and was his joy, and he would be lost without her.
In the weeks and months following her death, even though my sisters and I spent time with Dad, there was a huge void in his life I knew we could never fill. His grief was painful to watch.
About three months later, my dad had an experience which I believe helped begin his healing. One day he was sitting on his bed, crying and talking to Mom as he usually did every day, when he heard my mom say to him, "Bob, I'm fine." He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but her voice sounded very clear and strong as though she were sitting there in the room right next to him.
When Dad told me this, I said immediately that I believed it had been Mom and not his imagination. I said Mom wanted him to know she is fine, that she knows he's sad but wants him to continue on and live a happy life. My dad seemed to be comforted by my words, and I felt my belief confirmed that there is life after death. I truly believe this and believe that such great love as my parents felt for one another can never die. My mom is in Heaven and some day my dad, and all of us who love her, will be with her again.

Jeff McKay

The love of my life had a rare form of cancer. Though I knew it was life threatening, I had seen family members of mine battle with cancer and win. My experience began when we were in the hospital after a terrible set back from chemotherapy. We had been there for two days. He had so many family members come to visit him that I had only seen him once. While I waited for my chance to see him again, the alarms went off, and I heard the nurses yelling code blue. No one was allowed in the ICU when there was a code blue. So I patiently waited. Finally the doctor came to the room and called his parents out. I waited in my chair. When his mom came back, she had such an expression that I looked at her and said, "Don't give up. It's not over yet." But she knelt down and looked me in the eyes. She said, "You know that he didn't make it, don't you." Suddenly I started having sensations I had never experienced before. I felt me slipping out of myself. Part of me felt this was normal and everything was going to be okay. Another part panicked and told me this wasn't supposed to be happening and to GET HELP! All that I could do was say,"Oh God, help me!" At that moment everyone in the room faded off into the distance, and I was surrounded by a brilliant light. My sight changed, and I could see everything all the way around me without needing to look. In front of me was Jesus. I could only see the bottom of his robe, but I knew it was him. To the left of me stood people in white robes who were greeting others as they came in. I suddenly began recognizing who these greeters were. I realized I even knew their names. To the right of me I saw others coming in and then I saw my love coming in with them. I looked at him and saw that he was smiling. He had a glow all around him. He walked up to me, tilted his head and said, "I'm happy now. Be strong." This place was so warm and so perfect that I didn't want to leave it. But I knew I couldn't stay, and suddenly I was back, sitting in the chair as I had been before. All I could do was cry. Partly because of my dearest's passing and partly because I couldn't stay in that wonderful place.

Catherine Hall

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