Gypsy posted a remark under a story we had posted about orbs. It’s a good one and we didn’t want it to get lost in comments.
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I must have been about 12 years old at the time and we were living in Winnfield, Louisiana, a little “courthouse square” southern town where everyone knows everyone else. We were living across the street from my paternal grandmother. One day she and my aunts were discussing the death of a lady who had died at her home. Her family planned a home wake, but just after her death [in her own bed], there appeared on her bureau/dresser mirror an image – an image in color – that was the exact image of the lady as she lay in her deathbed.
This event left the family in a state of concern as to whether or not they should still have the wake at home. By then, word of this “miracle” had spread to my grandmother’s home where it was the subject of conversation. I was somehow allowed to attend the wake and will never forget it. The casket was set up in the living room and the house was full of people. After we paid our respects in the living room, we were allowed to view the mirror in the woman’s bedroom.
And there it was, here it was, a big round mirror in a wooden frame and in the center of the mirror was the colored image of this lady as she lay in bed. Funny, how I remember the colors of pink and lavender. Some people went up to the mirror and tried to rub the image off but it didn’t budge.
It was the talk of town for a long time afterward. I don’t remember ever hearing that the image had faded or gone away. but it certainly has not faded from my own memory.
Linda – it seems I'd heard this, but didn't know the origin. Thanks for the info!-
Trish
WOW! Do you people realize that there was once a widespread folk custom in Jewish communities of covering all the mirrors in a house after a death? They would throw a cloth over the mirror and leave it there all during the mourning period. I believe the Orthodox still do this.
The explanation is that the mirrors were covered so that the nefesh (soul) of the departed still lingering on the premises wouldn't catch sight of its reflection. I'm not sure what would happen if it did–I'm guessing that it's supposed to be a very traumatic experience. But from what I've read here, it sounds like it's much more traumatic for the survivors! I didn't realize this phenomenon was so common until I read this blog entry.
–Linda
Now THAT is seriously creepy, Ray. Any history on the house?
It is amazing how many times these events happen. I lived in a house owned by the widower of a woman whose black candles and other paraphernalia devoted to magic. We called it the creep house after I caught the owner sneaking around the property looking in windows.
There was a mirror in the hall that my kids would not pass after everyone had gone to bed. My mother-in-law and her sisters were nervous walking by the mirror.
It had some redish spots I thought were rust. When I tried to clean the mirror the cloth looked like it was soaked in blood.
Ray
After my father's death, my mother one winter morning saw the letters M-A-C written in the frost on the window next to the chair where my dad used to read. Mac was his nickname. – Rob
Terri and Marlene – wow. Until today, I'd never heard of this picture phenomenon!
Its been years…she had that on windows the entire time she lived in this house..I personnaly saw it about a year ago ..before she moved…I wonder if the new owners see this when they steam the house up with cooking..
One night about two years after my parents passed, my friend and I were sharing wine and chatting in my kitchen. There's always lots of laughter on these nights.
This one night she looked at the picture of my mom behind me and said, "You're mom just came out of the picture to join us."
My friend explained it was like one of those big bubbles, where this transparent, shimmering image of my mom's face came forward about to the middle of the table between us, and the shimmer was still attached to the picture. Then it disappeared, with no splashes of soap.
I always toast my parents pictures.
Marlene – that's an amazing story! How long has the mother been dead?
A friend of mine who lost her mother and has had many signs from her since her death..took me over her house for tea one day..she said that ever since her mother died when ever she cooked the steam would collect on the kitchen window and show the imprint of her mothers name and a heart.. well she went and boiled water..and put the steam up against the clear window..and sure enough the name and a heart was shown clear as day..I could not believe my eyes..
This is a very interesting phenomenon. I had not heard of this before.
Parents aren't supposed to outlive their children. This is unbearably sad, Mike. But hopeful, too, because of what your wife saw.
This is a hard one for me. After our daughter had died unexpectedly and we had said our goodbyes at the funeral parlour's chapel my wife and I went home.
Obviously my wife was very emotional but went to make tea for us, on her own, in the kitchen. She is adamant that in the window an image appeared of our daughter – exactly as we had seen her at the chapel.
It wasn't a lasting image, however, and before I went to look at what she had seen it had disappeared.
This post reminded me of that time.
I love this one. 🙂