Aunt Charlotte's Angel: A Terminally-Ill Woman is Guided by Her Husband's Spirit

In the winter of 2000, my still-young aunt, Aunt Charlotte, collapsed in her home and was rushed to the emergency room. After two days, numerous tests, and one very long exploratory surgery, the results were in. She had terminal cancer.

Given only six short weeks to live, Aunt Charlotte was forced to face her own mortality. Unfortunately, none of us were ready---including my aunt. She was in incredible pain, and terrified out of her mind. But she heroically fought for her life.

For those long six weeks, our entire family vigilantly sat by her beside. While the hospital limited patients' visitors, the nurses always looked the other way as we gathered by her side. Each member of our family took turn after turn, holding her hands, wiping her face, and recalling hilarious family moments. On some days, Aunt Charlotte laughed until the tears rolled down her face.

But these joyous moments were offset by sheer terror. Aunt Charlotte shook with fear, and begged us to help her. Feeling helpless, we struggled to find the right words to say. No words could make the situation better.

Desperately trying to console Aunt Charlotte, my sister held her for hours. As the hours whittled away, my sister reminded her of tales from the past. But most of all, Sister recalled her own eerie experiences. Although my Uncle James had passed away years ago, my sister has felt his presence many times---in fact, there are many times that she felt like my Uncle James was speaking to her. My sister promised Aunt Charlotte that he would be waiting with his arms wide open.

But Aunt Charlotte wouldn't believe her. She was always skeptical of my sister's tales of ghostly visits, and nothing was going to change now. The stories were just stories---or so Aunt Charlotte thought. The two of them wept and wept, but my sister's promises were unheard.

As the weeks flew by, Aunt Charlotte's condition worsened. She became weaker, and her pain was unbearable. Still, she felt entirely alone. She insisted that we were healthy, and we just could not understand her depression.

Suddenly, a few days before her death, everything changed. One morning, Aunt Charlotte lit up like a lamp and burst into a smile. She had more energy than we had seen in days. And she was eager to tell us all about it.

"All these years," she laughed. "I thought you were crazy. I couldn't believe that your uncle could visit from the grave." She was almost giddy with happiness.

As she held her hand, my sister's laugh was strained. There was an odd look in Aunt Charlotte's eyes.

"Now I believe," she promised. "I feel his hand brushing across my cheek."

Sister smiled, as she wiped the tears from her checks.

"It's okay," Aunt Charlotte said. "I can hear him talking to me. He's waiting for me."

Then she was still.