Text:

“So it was back in the 60s. I think 64 or 65, but basically um my grandma she had this one uncle that loved her like she was his favorite like niece and basically she heard a knock at the door and my grandma went to open it and he lives in Japan so he was just like “uncle what are you doing here” and then um my grandpa was like “Mona who’s there? Who are you talking to?” She turned around to my grandpa was just like “It’s uncle” and turned back around and he was gone. And then the next day she found out that he had passed away. So um yeah that was sort of like his, how she interprets it is like him sort of saying goodbye, you know like “I remembered you” yeah.”

“She was just like, “I saw him but no one else could” it was just like sort of strange, it was just strange like she seemed confused by the whole situation, “what was that?” um especially um the timing was like it was like coincidence or like it looks like a coincidence. I don’t she says that she believes in ghosts after that so I guess it’s not a coincidence but um yeah she was just very shook I guess.”

Context:

The informant was told this ghost story by her grandmother when she was growing up. The informant is unsure if she believes in ghosts or not. However, due to the timing of the ghost visit and the loved one passing, she believes in the story enough not to dismiss the possibility of ghosts outright.

Analysis:

I am not going to judge the validity of this ghost story. However, I think it is a great example of how ghosts can often represent a longing for our deceased loved ones and the confusion that follows immediately after experiencing a loss. While grief affects people differently, it can often make people lose track of time or generally feel ‘out of body’ and confused. Furthermore, a final goodbye from a loved one is often not possible but could help start the process of recovery.