There is a difference between spirits and ghosts. Spirits are the soul that has survived when a person dies. Ghosts on the other hand are tied to a location where they died, often a tragic or sudden death.
I believe in spirits. Often the very youngest of children see spirits. Here are my three encounters:
#1) While visiting our son and his family nearly fifteen years ago, we were in the car headed to visit the Norfolk Zoo. Our granddaughter was under the age of two. She was in her carseat beside the window, Hubby and I were beside her in the backseat. She was always a gentle child, quiet and happy. We hit a traffic light. On the side of the road (her carseat side) was a big cemetery.
Everything changed, as if an alert button had been pushed.
She immediately whipped her head around to look at the cemetery. She began waving and ‘talking’ with great excitement. She smiled and giggled. It seemed that the traffic light was the longest one ever, as this went on without a pause for quite a while. The traffic light turned green. Our car moved forward, past the cemetery, and our granddaughter returned to her normal self. No one in the car could speak.
#2) When I was away at summer camp as a child, I had ‘moved up’ to the older kids’ area- cabins, not tents.. Salt Rock, WV was rural with beautiful rolling hills. The dirt road up to the cabins was very dark at night. One evening I was walking the dirt road alone, headed to my cabin, and my father suddenly appeared. He had died in a car crash when I was five, and there he was, the way I remembered him. Blurry, but it was him. Neither of us said anything. I felt good and smiled, and then he was gone.
#3) Many of you remember Milly the Quilter. Milly had been vibrant and a big part of my preschool class for ten years. She was my mother’s age, but that didn’t matter. We became friends. Milly and her famous quilts are in many places of honor, and our car rides to-and-from quilt presentations were some of the best times together. Oh, how we laughed! I knew her health was failing. Her daughter had called to tell me she was close to the end.
And then I got the call, “Jennie, can you come and say goodbye to Milly? Now? I don’t think she can hang on any longer.”
I never drove so fast in my life. My heart was pounding as I raced to get to her bedside. I was five minutes away, approaching an overpass. Suddenly I was hit by an enormous wave of peace. Milly was there with me, smiling. It was the strongest sensation, yet only lasted for thirty seconds. I knew Milly had died.
When I arrived at Milly’s bedside five minutes later, her daughter said, “Jennie, I’m so sorry. Milly died five minutes ago.” I said, “I know. She was with me for a moment. It was overwhelming. She was happy and peaceful and saying goodbye.”
I’ve always believed that our physical body is a living shell for our spirit. I hope you are lucky enough to encounter a spirit one day. It’s an experience you will never forget. You may not see the spirit, but you will certainly know it is there with you.
Jennie
P.S. Thank you to Don Ostertag at Don Ostertag: Off Stage for encouraging me to tell these stories. His recent Guthrie Theater post (which is wonderful) triggered spirits and ghosts.
A Teacher's Reflections 
Thos are beautiful stories, Jennie. I’m so sorry you lost your father at such a young age. 💖
Thank you, Norah. He was headed out duck hunting before sunrise on a Sunday morning and was hit head on my a drunk driver from the Saturday night before.
That’s incredibly sad, Jennie. How distressing for you. He was obviously needed elsewhere. 💖💖💖
He must have been. Mother was a rock and told us an angel game down from heaven and told our dad God wanted him to be an angel in heaven, too. I was never sad because that story was wonderful. ❤️
That is a beautiful story, Jennie. You were blessed with a wise and loving mother. It must have been difficult for her too. 💖
Thank you, Norah. I was blessed. Yes, it must have been difficult for her. ❤️
Yes. 💖💖💖
Some beautiful spirit moments, there, Jennie 🙏🏼
Thank you, Ritu. 🥰
These are all so living and amazing. I’ve had a couple of experiences and am in awe of these experiences
I hope you write about them, too. All it takes is one experience to be a firm believer.
Exactly
These are eerie and touching at the same time …. but I can honestly say I haven’t had any encounters like these. Happy Halloween!
Hubby has never had an experience, but he was there to see our granddaughter interact with spirits at the cemetery. Best to you, Frank.
I’ve encountered nature spirits, but never human ones…. so far!
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Wonderful stories, Jennie, and I have no doubt that are true. There are spirits – we are spirits.
Yes, we are. Thank you, Dan. Glad you enjoyed the stories.
I loved these stories and fully agree with you. Children are often programmed out of seeing what they are so close to but we don’t see as adults. At least most don’t. To see your father again after losing him must have brought a great deal of peace to you. They let you know that we don’t really die. Just the body does. My experience was with an Angel and spirit guides warning me of a certain danger. It was nice of Millie to stop in to say goodbye.
Hi Marlene. I’m glad you enjoyed the stories. Yes, children see more than we do. Both my father and Milly were very peaceful events. You had an experience with an angel? I’m not surprised.
I believe every one of these. When my daughter was in a car accident, I knew it before she called, went and found her, and took care of it. It happens, doesn’t it.
Wow! Yes, it happens.
I wonder If there were ghosts before there were humans walking around?
Did a T Rex spirit wander about because it died horribly or is this a human thing?
What a great question! I wonder, too.
there are more things in heaven and earth my dear Horatio.
Beautifully said!
Thank you, Jennie for sharing your experiences with us.
Your two of your experiences, your dad and Millie, remind me of one of mine.
I was on stage at the Orpheum working when I was paged that there was a phone call for me. I went downstairs and on the first landing my dad was standing there smiling at me and the evaporated.
My brother was calling to tell me when dad stepped outside to do chores, he inexpertly dropped dead. I did not tell my brother I knew the bad news already.
My goodness, we had the same experience. Isn’t that something! I think this happens often. Thank you for asking me to share these experiences, Don.
Love your experience blog, Jennie
Thank you, Don.
I completely agree with your profound post, Jennie. There sure are people who have died but we can see them and talk to them too. Good experiences you and your grand daughter had.
Thanks so much! You are so right.
Always welcome dear Jennie
Best to you, Kamal!
Same to you too Jennie 😊😊
That was so very touching Jennie. I grew up with my Nana, my father’s mother. She would tuck me in every night. The thing is, she died when I was two. I never questioned her, it never entered my mind that she wasn’t there. Years later I told my mother about her and that she had not followed us in this move and I missed her. My mother smiled, she saw her too.
How wonderful! See, children are more open (or less inhibited) and seeing spirits is natural. I’m so glad your mother saw her, too.
They are touching stories indeed. Small children often stare at empty spaces and smile, and Ollie frequently looks into one corner of our living room and wags his tail at ‘nothing’. Perhaps our adult minds are too full of mundane things to let in such sensitive spirits?
Best wishes, Pete.
You are absolutely right. I hadn’t thought about dogs, but it makes sense that they see or sense things, too. Thank you Pete. I’m glad you enjoyed the stories.
I’ve experienced nothing like this, but too many others I know have for me not to believe. My wife has a vivid recollection of her dad visiting us one night shortly after he passed.
Hubby is the same way, never having experienced anything, yet a firm believer because of so many stories from close acquaintances (and of course me). Pete, your wife’s story of her dad visiting is classic. They must have had a great relationship. Best to you!
Such a beautiful post Jennie. My father died in the hospital when I was 8 years old. During the night I was awakened by footsteps in the hall. I got up and saw nothing, but heard those footsteps going into our rooms and down the hall to my mom’s room. Early the next morning my mom got the call that my dad had died during the night. I know he came to say goodbye to us all.
What a wonderful story of your father, Carla. Thank you for your kind words, and for sharing your father’s visit. Aren’t we the lucky ones?!
Such an incredible post, Jennie. Thank you – I knew you were special!
I do know what you mean and maybe one day I’ll tell you mine
Thank you so much, GP. You are so kind and your words are heartfelt. Really. I’m glad you know what I mean, and I hope you tell me yours. These stories aren’t easy to tell. It was Don who asked me, twice. I’m glad he did.
I love all these stories, Jennie. I strongly believe in the afterlife, and your stories support that belief.
Thank you, John. There’s nothing as powerful as a spirit ‘being there’, even if it’s for a few seconds. I’m reading through my comments, and there are so many stories just like mine that people shared. Of course there is an afterlife.
My last two books are focused on the subject.
Yes, they are!!
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Beautiful stories, Jennie! I’m glad you shared them.
Thank you, Miriam!
You’re welcome, Jennie!
These are amazing stories, thanks for sharing them with us. I too felt my father’s spirit the minute he passed away at age 83. We got the call, jumped on a plane, rented a car and were driving the 3 hours to where he was. We were about an hour away when I felt him with me and I knew he was gone. Every time we drive past that spot, I think of him. Somehow I was not upset that I didn’t get to see him one more time. It was like he was telling me it was OK. It’s so sad that you lost your dad at such a young age. But it seems he was still keeping an eye out for you. xo
Such a powerful story, Darlene. I’m glad you had this experience with your father. Like you, I was nor upset. It was a warm and peaceful feeling. Yes, it’s their way of saying it’s okay.
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I love these stories, Jennie. I’ve had several encounters with those on the other side, and most have been quite wonderful 💕
Thank you, Alethea. I’m so glad you have had experiences, too! Yes, they really are quite wonderful! 💕
What amazing, uplifting stories/encounters, Jennie. Thank you so much for sharing them here. Those are experiences to be remembered and cherished.
Thank you, Diana. They really are amazing, and I’m glad you felt uplifted. I will remember and cherish them forever.
I love these spiritual encounters, Jennie. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. They’re uplifting and comforting.
Thank you, Liz. I’m truly glad they were uplifting for you. All the best. 🙂
You’re welcome, Jennie. 🙂
The difference between spirits and ghosts. Nicely done!
Thank you.
I agree with you Jennie there are more things in heaven and earth …those were three beautiful stories 💜💜
There really are! Thank you, Willow!
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I believe in them too Jennie. Thank you for this post.
Thank you, Flower.
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Thank you.
Hi Jennie, these are all unique and wonderful experiences. I’ve never had such an experience, but I have yet to lose someone very close to me 🙏🩵✨
I hope when those close to you pass on, their spirit is with you, if only for a moment. Thank you, Robbie.
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