A psychotherapist by the name
of Eileen who specializes in grief counseling first told this story.
A father had tragically lost
his teenage son to a fatal car crash. He could not get passed his sorrow so he
sought professional help.
After one session he
mentioned an issue that was troubling him. He told Eileen that while traveling in
his car alone he often had a strange experience.
When his son Chris was
younger he and his father had a running gag.
His father did not always
find this amusing. The father told Eileen that he still smelled this foul odor
in his car occasionally.
She asked him what he would
do when Chris was alive. He told her that “he would yell at Chris to stop it”--half
serious and half kidding.
Eileen recommended that the
next time he smelled the odor that the father should do what he always did. She
told the father that Chris’ spirit could just be letting him know he was still
there and everything was fine.
A half-hour later the father
returned to the therapist’s office. Eileen asked him what had happened. The
father told her he had barely gotten out on the road when he smelled the foul
smell once more.
He told her I did what you
suggested. I stated, “Chris how many times have I told you not to fart
in the car.” This worked for the odor went away immediately.
The father admitted that
maybe it was Chris letting him know everything was all right. He felt his
response had let Chris know he had gotten his message.
In Eileen’s profession she
has encountered many stories like the one above. She firmly believes death is not
the end. Her clients often experience a special sound or odor or something that
is connected to a deceased loved one.
She admits it might be people’s minds remembering but it also might be a loved one proving that love and affection continues after death.
She admits it might be people’s minds remembering but it also might be a loved one proving that love and affection continues after death.
