Life Of The Party

My parents have lived in a rather large old farm house in Hamilton, Virginia for many years. The first section of the house was built in the 1960s and is where the modern kitchen and living area is. The second part of the house is the original farm house that was built around 1800. This section of the house was a simple affair with the first floor being one big kitchen and living area with a set of stairs on the side that led up to the sleeping areas. Finally, the third section is a three story brick structure that was built onto the house in 1841. This section added a living room, sitting room and bedrooms on the floors above. Today, the original kitchen and living area is used as a sort of formal dining room while the newer living area is less formal and were most of the meals are shared. But when the 'clan' gathers for Christmas or Thanksgiving, the formal dining room is spread with plates and silverware on table cloths. Cakes and pies lay out on a sideboard. Candles are lit in sconces on the walls and the table and a fire burns in the fire place. These are always big affairs, lasting hours with the family over flowing into the other rooms.

And it is just such times that the ghost of the house seems to enjoy. On more than one occasion, I've helped the family clean off the table after the 'feast'. It takes some time because there are so many plates, glasses and serving dishes. But even through the work of cleaning up, the good cheer continues. When my sons were young, the final step in finishing off the dining room was to blow out all the candles. This was a big deal for the kids who got to get lifted up high enough to blow out each candle. Some years ago, my youngest son Josh got the honor of blowing out the candles and after we did so, we took the last couple of plates into the kitchen to be cleaned. When we came back to the dining room for one last check, we stopped. Every one of the candles was burning. And the fire, which had been dying down, was again burning brightly. I knew we had blown out every one of those candles. I didn't do anything so foolish as to ask my son. He knew we had as well and looked just as puzzled. I looked in the library where some of the older kids were playing with an Xbox. No way would they have had the time or interrupted their game for such a prank. And even if they had, they'd have been watching me for a reaction. I had been gone less than a minute and yet now all the candles were burning brightly. It was as if someone... Or something... Did not want the evening to end. This happened one other time, so far, a couple of years later. This time, my cousin and his family had been able to join us so the rooms were again packed to over flowing. And again, after all the candles had been blown out and the final plate was taken from the table, my son and I returned to find all of the candles again relit. This time we smiled, looked at each other knowingly and Josh said, "She's not ready for the party to end." For some reason, we both think of the entity as being a female. We've never discussed it and yet we're both convinced. She touches us frequently. You can walk through the room and at some point, you will be enveloped in what can only be called caresses or a 'hug'. It isn't just a cool spot or hairs standing up on your neck. There is an almost the feel of a physical body. There is motion to it. You are caressed, a 'hand' moves down your arm or shoulder, a 'chest' presses into your chest or gently through you. There is movement and a difference in the density of the entity. And a feeling of happiness, like a hug of welcome. I don't know any other way to describe it. The experience is always stronger when there is a big family gathering. And the entity is not always in the same place. Sometimes you need to walk around a little bit until you come to it. And when you do, you will know you have found her and that she's happy to see you. And she is almost always there. More when there are or have been more people in the house, less at other times.

We have no idea who or what this entity might be, but she seems confined to only the original area of the house so I can only assume that this was her time and that she has been there and will remain with us for many, many years.