I've had too many unexplainable signs of contact from deceased relatives or friends not to believe in some kind of afterlife. My daughter has, too. Since it's almost Mother's Day, this one is about my Mother who passed away when my daughter was 11. We had flown to a hospital back East where she was very ill and near death. It was very late at night and children were not allowed in the patient rooms so I left my daughter, 11 at the time with my youngest son, Paul, just under a year old who was asleep next to her. I told her to make sure and watch him and not fall asleep. The nurses had also assured me they would watch the children. I was with my mother for some time, but she was unresponsive, just staring blankly ahead. I told her I was so sorry her granddaughter could not be with her because of the hospital rules but that she loved her and missed her. She was hooked up to different tubes and machines. After a long while of praying, telling her I was sorry for not being the kind of daughter I should have been, and hoping she would say something, I saw a single tear roll down her face. She never responded. Finally, it was quite late and I left to get the children to bed. We stayed at my mother's apartment. Later, during the night the doctor called and said they had removed the life support and my Mom had passed away.

In the morning, my daughter got up right away, was very cheerful and excitedly asked when we would be going to visit Grandma. I gently told her Grandma was very sick, had died and she was now in heaven. My daughter was so insistent saying her Grandma was not sick, that she was ok and that she wanted to visit her! I attributed it to a dream that she had after falling asleep, and forgot about it until years later.

My daughter and I were both students at the University � she a Junior and I a Freshman. We were at the Mall having an Orange Julius, comparing school notes when I happened to mention that I had written a short story for English class about her Grandma and the dream my daughter had had about her after falling asleep that night at the hospital.

My daughter insisted vehemently that she had NOT fallen asleep and that she had seen her Grandma walk down the hall, in her pink robe and slippers on the arm of a male nurse. She said her Grandma was happy and glad to see her and told her that she was fine, now and that everything was ok.