The summer I turned eighteen the rest of my family went to a family reunion out-of-state and I stayed at home. I was a big girl and not frightened of being alone, although I did leave the bathroom lights on. A night or two before my family was due to arrive home I was awakened by very loud noises. I turned over in my bed to look into the hall. The bathroom lights were flickering and I could see people dressed in dark clothes walking in the hall. They all appeared to be women and were walking in pairs. They all were headed one way -- towards my mother's bedroom. Interestingly, they were singing in a language I did not understand. I had the idea it was French, but since I don't speak French I can not be sure.
I was both afraid and bewildered and started to pray. Immediately one of the women came into my room. She said, "Don't be frightened. It's me, Mother. We've come home early". And she leaned over to kiss me, just as my own mother would. But I felt no physical contact.
She then returned to the hall and I heard her say, "Shh. Shh. She's awake".
I started once again to pray and immediately all noise stopped, the women disappeared and the bathroom lights stopped flickering. And I had the most incredible feeling like cool clean water washing over me.
The next day I was sitting in the kitchen, the brightest, lightest spot in the house, thinking over the previous night's events and feeling extremely uncomfortable about the whole thing. I had things to do in other parts of the house but was afraid to leave the kitchen. I prayed again (I was not a girl who prayed much) and then gathered my courage to leave the kitchen. I decided to sing a bit as I worked -- sort of an act to instill some bravery in myself -- but couldn't think of any songs. As I finally stepped through the kitchen door, I started to sing, without conscious choice, some words from an old hymn, "Fear not, I am with thee/Oh be not dismayed/For I am thy God and will still give thee aid". I was very comforted and able to accomplish the things I needed to do that day.
