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Painted Rose Petals

 

I was twelve years old when my grandfather passed away. I remember growing cold when I heard the news, so cold I had to put on every sweater I owned though it was a hot Florida summer day.

I spent the next few days in a fog, barely seeing or hearing anything until the funeral. The one bright point I recall was a floral arrangement, heart-shaped and bursting with vivid red roses. When the service ended and the guests left, I gathered all the roses up into boxes and bags and took them home with me, intending to keep them forever in my grandfather's memory.

Unfortunately, I didn't know anything about preserving flowers, and within a few days my heaps of red roses wilted and crumbled. I tried to save a few, pressing them between the pages of books, but it was too late. Finally, I had to throw them all away.

Weeks later, I was sitting on my bed reading a book when the strangest thing happened: a few dried red rose petals fluttered out of nowhere and landed on the pages.

I froze in amazement then began trying to figure out where they could have come from. I knew I hadn't kept any flowers in this book, and even if I had, they would have fallen out when I turned a page. There was no wind in the room that could have blown around any petals I might still have had hiding somewhere.

Finally, I looked up realizing the only place they could have come from was the painting of roses on the wall above my bed.

I checked behind the painting, which had once hung in my mother's room, to see if she might have pressed a flower to the back. I found nothing.

There was no other explanation but the one I desperately wanted to believe - that my grandfather had seen the painting and used it to give me something to remember him by, something to hold on to.

I still have those petals today, though I haven't heard from my grandfather again. I like to think the petals symbolize that although all beautiful things eventually die, there are ways to treasure them long after their passing.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, Delilah, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

raingrl01 (5 stories) (151 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-04-23)
That is a sweet story. Lucky You! After my grandmother died I was going through a hard time and wanted to talk to her. I had just moved to New York with my husband and two children (I now have three) and wasn't dealing well with being away from my family. Suddenly the smell of roses was in my bedroom with me where I was crying. I also had a feeling of being comforted. There was no way that the smell of roses was from outside as it was the dead of winter in New York, which meant lots of snow. It's very comforting to know that they are still with us. ❀ ❀ ❀
neu (3 stories) (10 posts)
+2
15 years ago (2009-04-22)
Aww. 😳 That's an incredibly sweet story! It's wonderful that your grandfather is happy and can send you a message, from wherever he is. ❀
BYLUYSTER (11 stories) (78 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-04-21)
Delilah--Thank you for your touching story. I agree, it might have been your grandfather sending you a token of his love. Just because a person is gone from our lives doesn't mean they leave our hearts or us theirs.
God Bless 😊
Byluyster
jakester913 (11 posts)
+2
15 years ago (2009-04-21)
its good to here a nice story every now and then❀!thank you for the wonderful story
hobbyholly (11 stories) (572 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-04-21)
Ah this is the second story out of MANY I've read today that didn't make me want to ram my head through the computer.

ANYWAY: Indeed, as strange as the explanation may sound, it seems like a gift from your grandfather. Thank you for a lovely story.
angelfeathers (106 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-04-21)
What a lovely (and beautifully written) story! Thank you for sharing it with us!

Are you aware that, in the Roman Catholic tradition, a shower of roses is usually associated with St. Therese of Lisieux? She was a lovely, little Carmelite nun who died quite young and promised to -- and did! -- send "a shower of roses" upon her death. Of course, a physical manifestation of such a miracle is a very rare occurence, indeed. Most often, the "shower of roses" is figurative -- a sign of Grace from Above. How blest you are to have received such a lovely gift! And how wonderful that you are able to recognize it as such!

😁 A.

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