NOTE:

JANUARY 11, 2012.............. THE TRUE STORY .......... (MAMA CAME BACK FROM THE OTHER SIDE).......... WILL BE RE-WRITTEN WITH MORE DETAILS AND IN FIRST PERSON... TO BE SUBMITTED ONCE AGAIN, HOPEFULLY TO BE ACCEPTED IN A PARANORMAL TRUE STORIES BOOK... IF IT ISN'T ACCEPTED, THIS WILL HAVE BEEN PRACTICE ON MY PART....... I HAVEN'T BEGUN TO RE-WRITE JUST YET, BUT..... I WILL LATER TODAY.

AS YOU ALL KNOW.... MY MAIN CHARACTER..... "SHEA" ...... IS ACTUALLY ME, "GLORIA FAYE BROWN BATES".

I HAVE MADE ANOTHER DECISION TO WRITE MY TRUE STORIES BEING MY OWN SELF, INSTEAD OF A FICTITIOUS CHARACTER NAMED ......."SHEA".

IT IS MUCH EASIER TO WRITE AS .... "GLORIA FAYE".... AFTER-ALL, THESE ARE MY LIFE STORIES... AND THOUGH THEY AREN'T ALWAYS.... THE HAPPIEST, PRETTIEST, NICEST........... THEY ARE TRUE AND THEY HAPPENED TO ME.

I HAVE BEEN IN MY LIFE SUCH A VAIN PERSON IN MY YOUTH, THOUGH I DID HAVE A BIG HEART.... IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BIGGER, MY ATTENTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN WAY BEYOND 'MYSELF'.

I HAVE LEARNED EVERYTHING I KNOW.... THE HARD WAY. ONCE I LEARNED.... I NEVER FORGOT. I HAVE LEARNED THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE AND WHAT WE ARE ALL HERE FOR... OUR LIFE ISN'T MEANT JUST FOR 'US'... IT'S ABOUT 'ALL OF US'.

I HOPE YOU ALL WILL CONTINUE ON MY JOURNEY WITH ME TO REMEMBER AND NOT WASTE MY LIFE'S LESSONS TO BEING A BETTER PERSON... TO REMEMBER PEOPLE WHO ONCE LIVED AND WERE... AS REAL AS YOU AND I.

I HOPE IF POSSIBLE, SOMETHING I WRITE AND EXPERIENCED, COULD HELP SOMEONE ELSE TO KEEP FROM WASTING ALOT OF VALUABLE LIFE'S TIME... THAT YOU COULD REALLY LIVE TO THE FULLEST... BECAUSE YOU SEE... I GOT 'OLD' BEFORE I KNEW IT... I DON'T HAVE THE TIME A YOUNGER PERSON DOES. I HOPE MY STORIES TOUCH YOUR LIFE IN A POSITIVE WAY.... ... AND SAVE YOUR LIFE'S YEARS FROM BEING WASTED. YOU CAN THEN, LOOK BACK AND BE SO GLAD YOU DID SO MANY OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT MEANT SOMETHING WHILE.... YOU HAD TIME!

I WILL WRITE KNOWING YOU ALL ARE WITH ME ON THE DARK AND SCARY PATHS I WILL HAVE TO GO DOWN, OR THE OCEAN OF GRIEF I WILL HAVE TO SWIM IN.... YOU ALL WILL BE MY LIFE SAVERS TOSSED TO ME IN THE SCARY SEA OF ... PAST EVENTS.

I WILL TRAVEL ON PATHS OF HAPPINESS, SUNSHINE, AND COLORS. THESE ARE MY FAVORITE PATHS TO TRAVEL, LIFE ISN'T LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME. MAYBE YOURS IS... MINE NEVER WAS... MY HAPPY PATHS ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING SAD OR UNHAPPY ON IT. I ALWAYS LOOKED FOR THE BEST ...ANYWAY. MY LIFE IS WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS....... BITTERSWEET.

BY GLORIA FAYE BROWN BATES/AKA "SHEA".... IN MY STORIES

I WILL BE TRUE TO MYSELF NOW... GLORIA

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MAMA CAME BACK FROM THE OTHER SIDE

BY GRANNY GEE

Shea came in from the back door, to her left was her bedroom. She and Skip had chosen that bedroom because it was easier to get up to let the pups outside to their fenced-in yard. Some time later, Tommy fashioned a pet door so, they wouldn't have to get up all through the night.

Today, Shea had been to the gym and had just entered the house and turned to go into her bedroom when.... she froze. The whole room was enveloped in smoke! Shea panicked and hurried inside the room sniffing the air for a burning scent. She began to realize... there isn't a burning scent! Where is the smoke coming from?

Shea walked to the door and looked into next room and saw that the air was normal, clear as a bell. She turned to look back into the bedroom and the air was heavy with 'smoke'!

She couldn't understand unless..... she went back into the bedroom and stood in front of the fireplace... her mother's ashes were sitting on the mantle piece above the fireplace. She turned around slowly in the room, still the 'smoke' was in there, but... no burning smell.

She put her hands up to feel the air, she didn't feel anything. Mama! Tears came to her eyes as she 'felt' like it was mama doing as she'd promised. 'If' something should happen to her first... Shea had promised her mama that if possible, she'd make herself known if she died. Mama had promised her the same promise when they were laughing and talking just several months ago about such. No one even thought one of them would be gone so soon.

Shea happened to look at her computer sitting on her desk that had been placed near the bed when she was very ill. She walked to it and her mouth fell open! Her monitor screen had begun scrolling and didn't stop scrolling. Shea couldn't believe it and 'knew' there was a presence here that was her mama! Mama!

No sooner than she thought 'Mama'... Shea heard the sound of dishes falling in the kitchen sink! She ran to the kitchen to look to where the dish drainer was... several plates and cups were in the sink. Shea went to the sink and couldn't believe 'plates fell' into the sink? How could that happen... they sit 'in' the drainer! She stood there in disbelief, but... 'knowing' it was her mama.

Shea walked quickly back to the bedroom, the 'smoke' was still in the bedroom! She sensed all was okay, there wasn't anything burning. This was her mother keeping a promise they'd both made. She went on to forget the smoke that really was a fog now, in her mind. She knew it wasn't smoke. Later that evening it was gone.

She didn't see the fog again until several days later when she came into the house. She stood there looking at it, imagining seeing her mama in it. She never saw her mama no matter that she imagined hard to do so. Shea just smiled through her tears... I miss you, mama, with my very heart. Shea went on to do her chores and later, noticed the fog was gone. It never came back.

A month later, Shea decided she wanted to wear her new walking shoes. She had been very ill for three years and had been getting stronger by the day. Shea was ready to begin walking. Her husband, Chip, had purchased them for her and she put them in the new wardrobe he'd gotten her for extra storage.

The wardrobe was very nice, solid in its construction. It had two nice doors in front and a solid back. Shea loved it, it had shelves inside on one side, and a place to hang clothes on the other side. On the shelves, Shea had some special things there. One special box held the pretty new shoes Chip had gotten for her.

She took the box and sat on the edge of the bed to open them. Her feet were bare and the carpet felt good to her toes. The carpet was Hunter green in color... she loved that color, it was elegant.

Shea opened the top of the box, placed the lid on the bedspread. She unwrapped the tissue paper that was around them and began to take a shoe out. Something small and white began falling from the shoe. Puzzled, Shea looked closely to see what in the world was falling from the shoe. She knew there wasn't anything in the shoes... she had wrapped the shoes herself in the tissue that came with the box when she stored them.

She took the other shoe out of the box and she looked closer, not believing what she was seeing. She turned the shoe over to let the contents... fall to the dark green carpet.... there was a pile of pure white.......... rice there! All had come from inside both shoes!

Shea just sat there.... she sat staring with pain showing in her eyes, grief in her heart. Mama! She cried on the inside as the tears fell on the outside. There wasn't any way the rice could have gotten there... Shea 'knew' it was her mama.

Shea knew these things because these weren't the first things she'd ever witnessed that were strange. She also, knew miracles happened. She had witnessed those, too.

Shea sat there for some time hugging her new shoes to her chest, staring at that little pile of pure white rice. She sat there in amazement.

She never did see anything else after the fog, and scrolling monitor screen, and falling dishes and pile of rice that was 'Mama'. She always remembered through the years from those incidents that one can 'come back' and let you know they are there. Sadly, Shea has been waiting for her son, Tommy.... to make an appearance for almost 2 years. He hasn't come back... yet.