My parents were not overly demonstrative and after they passed away, my father on July 11, 1988 and my mother on January 3, 1989, both of them visited me in a single night.

I went to sleep normally around 10:00 p.m. and sometimes around 2 a.m. I awoke after having a VERY strong dream, more real than dream-like. I was sitting at my mother's funeral with her to my right during the services. As friends and family gathered and then left my mother watched in wonder, smiling and shaking her head. She said over and over again how this was “such an outpouring of love.” After all the crowds of mourners left, she turned to me, patted my right knee with her left hand and said, “I just wanted you to know that I DO love you.” This was a true closure for me as she rarely uttered such words. The scene then faded and I woke up feeling refreshed and washed with my mother's love. There was no sadness, only a great, fulfilling completeness.

I checked the clock (2:00 a.m.) and immediately dropped off to sleep again. Once again, I was at my father's funeral. He sat to my left. He watched the mourners silently and stoically. Then he turned to me, putting his right hand on my shoulder to get my attention and said, “You need to know that I am proud of you.” The scene faded and I awoke. It was barely past 2:30 a.m. My father would NEVER say this while he was alive and I spent the entire 40 years of my life being his daughter trying and failing to get him to acknowledge my accomplishments or to even smile at me. I awoke and felt so completely peaceful and full of love that I know he had a mission to return to me and give me this final message. I slept the remainder of that night peacefully and woke at my regular time of 6 a.m. to go to work.