The Paranormal Blog

This post is dedicated in loving remembrance of Jack Didier and Alec Demeter.

It was the night before Mother's Day 1999, and I had gone to bed rather late (which is too typical of me). I do not remember dozing off, or falling into sleep. Usually I daydream before actually nodding off. The dream seemed to begin the moment I closed my eyes.

I was on my late Aunt Helen's old rural property. It was dark, and gloomy. I stared at her empty garden, and began to weep. My aunt (my favourite aunt) had passed away 6 years previous of stomach cancer. She had been an avid gardener in life, and her gardens were always brimming with flowers. I noticed my Uncle's new wife playing with the dogs, but I was to melancholy to wave a hello. I just kept thinking how I wanted to leave. I walked around to the side of the house, and it is at this point I believe what may have been an ordinary dream became something more
.
As I rounded the corner a beam of sunshine hit me. Warm and golden like the real thing. There it was .... a beautiful garden that was so breathtaking I have to struggle to find the words to describe it. The beauty, and the tranquility I saw and felt could not even be matched by a master artist. I was in total awe........

Behind me I could sense the presence of another soul. I turned to see my Aunt Helen. She was radiant, appearing almost ageless...again I am struggling for the right words. She smiled at me, and all I could think to say was "your dead, how can you be here?" To this she did not answer .... she simply held her smile. I then started to weep again, and I asked her if I could touch her. To this she laughed and said "yes". I will add here that I heard her voice in my head not externally. It was almost like she was communicating through telepathy. I touched her hand, and immediately fell into her embrace. She felt warm, and I could smell her perfume.

When we let go she looked at me and said " I am here now" and pointed towards the garden. We began to walk towards it, but I felt a barrier. It was not something I could see, but I knew I couldn't go any farther. As my aunt walked farther into the garden she stopped and turned. She then spoke these final words to me, " I know it's Mother's Day tomorrow, and my children will miss me. Please tell them I love them."

That's when I came out of it. I was sitting straight up in bed, tears running down my cheeks...yet oddly feeling both at peace, and totally refreshed...exhilarated! It was so real. I felt as if I had experienced it all. I could hear her sweet voice ringing in my head. It was 3 am and I wanted to fly down the stairs, and call my mother (Aunt Helen was my mother's beloved older sister). Instead I forced myself back to sleep, and called my Mom at a more decent 7:30 am.

At first to be honest, I thought my tired brain had made this up in order to make me feel better. However, I discounted that because it happened 6 years after my Aunt's death. I miss her, but have long since moved forward. I fondly remember her, but was not thinking of her or my cousins in the previous days leading up to this experience.

I also pondered the why me. Her message seemed solely for her children. A friend who has also had encounters of a paranormal nature felt that it was because I am open to these experiences, and my cousins may not be. I did eventually contact all four of my Aunt's children, and gave them her message. Each one privately thanked me, and I think believed in what I was telling them.

I did eventually reconcile the why me question. Four weeks to the day that I had the dream experience with my Aunt, I learned my own father was dying. He lived alone, so it was a struggle to get him out of hospital, and home which is where he and I both wanted him to die. This time was one of the most painful, and difficult time periods of my life. As any who has cared for the dying knows.

I believe my Aunt Helen may have contacted me that day not only to pass on a message for her own children, but also to show me that the human spirit does transcend death. That we do go on...........

My father's decline was extremely rapid, and at the time of the dream he seemed in excellent health. This is why I did not make the initial connection.

My Father

My father passed away on July 6th, 1999. His death was sudden in that he lived only a few short weeks after a diagnosis of terminal cancer. The last weeks of his life were extremely stressful. He deteriorated rapidly, and soon needed constant care. We were determined to keep him out of hospital. My father hated hospitals, and wanted no life saving procedures performed on him, considering his illness was terminal. My fondest wish at that time was that my dad could spend his final days within in his own bed, and pass on in peace. As a very determined person I made sure that this wish would be fulfilled. However, as anyone who has cared for the dying knows, this was not easy. I look back at that time, and wonder how I coped......

Before my father became ill, we had planned our family vacation for July. We're were going to spend a week up at the cottage in the Canadian wilderness. When my father became ill I told my former husband to take the kids and go. I did not want to leave Dad. However, a few days prior to their departure as I sat alone with my Dad he questioned why I would not go. He said I looked so worn, and the tired. In fact he insisted I go! "Catch a big fish for me honey," he said. I didn't want to argue with him, but I can be stubborn! So after much consultation with his doctor (who felt my Dad had a few months left) and arranging 24hr. nursing care....I reluctantly went....

The last words my father spoke to me were "give me a big smile sweetheart, I love you."

We left on a Friday night accompanied by my sister, her husband, my former husband's brother and my nephew. On the Tuesday night I stayed up late sitting around the bonfire with my Sis, and my brother in law ( who is more like my brother). We were gazing up at the night sky, which was magnificent...and talking about the wonders of the universe. I think that is when in my heart I knew my father was gone.

That night when I fell asleep I saw him.

My father was sitting at a table, it had a white table cloth, and was laden with fine china, and crystal, the type I could never afford. Each dish was filled with my father's favourite foods...steak...pancakes...etc. During the final weeks of his life my father could not eat solid food. He looked up at me with a huge wicked grin. "Look at all this food, he said!" He started eating again, then paused, and looking directly at me and he said, "you have a good life." He promptly went back to his banquet, and then I noticed the swish of a long gray skirt, behind him. It was a woman, but I could not see her face.

I woke up much the same way as I did with the other dream experience. I felt as though I had been conscious the entire time...I could smell the food!! Again as with the other possible communication it seemed to take place without lips moving, a sort of telepathy.

The following morning I already knew. I guess I wanted to prolong the inevitable, so I insisted we go hiking. When we returned the proprietor of the bait and tackle shop in a nearby town was waiting for us. We had no phones, so I had left instructions at home to contact us if needed this way. The kindly proprietor looked very grave. He was sorry to inform us that my father had passed away the previous day. I already knew...my dad had said his good bye the night before..................

Alec A. Demeter
Aug. 5th 1922 - July 6th 1999