Took Grandma to Heaven

Japanese Ghost

This took place November 25th, 1982, Thanksgiving night. My entire extended family was over for the holiday. I was 12. We all sat down in the dining room to eat our big dinner. My Dad had led the prayer. My Grandma started to cry and said we need to pray for Mom, meaning her mother, my Great Grandma. Her name was Bertha. She was now 100 years old and in a care home. She was about to turn 101 years old, and her quality of life was not very good. My Grandma asked God to take her, she's tired. The entire family bowed their heads and agreed.

I gobbled my dinner down and snuck away from the table to play with a toy my Grandma had given me earlier in the day. I went and sat at the top of our basement steps, while everyone continued to eat. I was sitting there when I heard this shuffling noise. I looked to the bottom of the stairs, and this elderly man with a hunch back wearing a black suit and using a cane walked up to the bottom of the stairs. I froze. He turned his head and looked at me and shuffled off, out of my view.

I jumped up and ran to tell people at the table what I just saw. I got the old Shoo! We are talking. I was scared this person was not a guest that night.

The next morning the phone rang. My Dad turned and told everyone Great Gran died this morning. I never ever forgot what I saw, but never understood who it was until 2005 when my Mom passed and I received a huge box of old family photos. I saw the old man in one of the photos. On the back it said Otto. That was Great Gran's husband. He passed well before I was born; I had never seen him. I knew then that there is definitely life after death. I saw my Great Grandpa in the basement. I think he was there for the holiday, and to take his wife Bertha to Heaven the following morning.