Unstopable Spirit

Sarah stood on the sidewalk and looking up at the house. It now stood empty, but at one time it was filled with so much life, hope, and love Then when she was in the 3rd grade her dad died and all that changed.

Sarah now found herself in an atmosphere where she was always on guard from those she called her family. Her paternal grandma was the only one who really cared, but after her dad died, her mom moved away, almost like trying to erase Sarah’s dad and his family from Sarah’s life. Unfortunately, that left Sarah wondering why she was there? What purpose did she serve?

In a sense she felt like Christina, daughter from mommy dearest. But instead of asking why did you adopt me? She asked why was she born? Surely, she wasn’t born just to endure the suffering and abuse at the hands of those who now entered her life.

The longer she stood on the sidewalk leading to the house that was once her home, the more she summoned the courage to face her fears.

She, like Christina, spent each day finding ways to survive until such time as she could escape the abuse into a world of her own making.

But now that she was an adult, the answers to those questions were more important than ever to uncover because her time was almost up. She had to know if her life worth living. She had to find the answers.

Taking a deep breath, she looked from left to right then down as she mounted the steps and slowly moved toward the door.

As she unlocked the door and stepped in the entryway as a stream of sunshine cast its rays on the floor. But the minute she closed the door ghosts from the homes past, including her childhood, appeared before her.

Unsure of what was happening she just looked around. After closing the door, she walked into the house and away from the sunshine. That’s when she saw the ghosts came alive and move around as if they were still alive.

Mothers caring for children, husbands watching football with friends, family gatherings all playing out as they did those many years ago There was even a scene at Christmas where everyone was gathered by the tree Christmas morning opening presents.

As Sarah stood there the scenes were all jumbled together as if a 1000-piece puzzle had been dumped. But the longer she stood there the more the other scenes faded away leaving only one. That of her grandma’s home. For a moment she just stood there, then she saw it, the old red chair that her grandma had in her home. Suddenly it dawned on her, she had a similar red chair in the corner of her living room. She had picked it up at a thrift store after she left college and got her first apartment.

AS she looked at the chair, memories of her childhood came flooding back. And a smile crossed her lips. There had been so many nights she had stayed with her grandma, the one who really cared for her after her dad died. And so many stories told as she sat on her lap.

AS she walked through the house that was once her home she wondered again why was she born? What in her life was she supposed to accomplish? Had that accomplishment come and /or gone, or was it yet to come? For a moment she tried to think of the moments in her past that meant something to her, moments that she remembered helping others. There were a few.

After a few moments downstairs she headed upstairs and when she was on the landing leading to the second floor, she looked in the mirror that was placed there. There should have been only one image in the reflection but there were two. Turning quickly there was nobody behind her but when she looked again in the mirror the image was gone. what was happening???? 

Shaking her head, she laughed and continued heading upstairs. There were two bedrooms a bathroom and a closet holding the stack-able washer/dryer. She even remembered the first babysitting job that went somewhat wrong, but the child was safe. That memory triggered others causing her to smile as she drifted back to those moments.

That’s when she heard sounds coming from downstairs. instantly she headed back down

“Hello? …. Who’s there?” She called as she headed back down.

“Hello?”

But there was no answer. The moment she reached the landing again she looked in the mirror and saw the same woman. But she didn’t recognize the woman, but she continued downstairs. When she was again on the first floor a woman stood in the center of the room. I stopped suddenly. I recognized the woman. It was my grandmother.

Silence filled the room for a moment and a moment later it was broken when she spoke.

“Hello Sarah”

“Grandma!” Sarah jumped.

“I don’t mean to startle you, but I came here with a message.”

“What’s the message?”

“You have a purpose?”

“Really?

“Really, yes. when you headed upstairs you saw a woman in the mirror behind you right?”

“Yes. But how did you know?”

“I saw her, well both of them?”

“Who were they?”

There was silence for a moment as her grandmother smiled when those women as well as a few other figures appeared. There were both men and women some old some young.

Sarah’s grandma as well as the others were silent for a moment as Sarah just looked from one to the other. There were so many but who were they?

“Who are they? Sarah asked as she looked at her grandma.

“They are all those who you have helped in your life so far.”

Grandma walked to the first woman. " This is the woman you met in high school who thought you were her granddaughter. Nobody had the heart to tell her you weren’t the grand daughter who was actually on her way to see her but hadn’t arrived yet.”

“Well, I couldn’t see her heart broken.”

“It was a good thing because that weekend she passed away happy because she ‘saw her granddaughter one last time before she passed so she passed happy.”

“Well, that’s a good thing,”

And there were so many others who came forward to reveal how if it wasn’t for her their lives would be so different and not in a good way.

“So, you see dear, regardless of whether you see the results or not, you do impact the lives of those you come in contact with. And I believe that when your influence is negative in some way, it's not just you but those others as well.”

Moments later each one thanked her and faded away just leaving Sarah and her grandma.

“So, you see Sarah whether you see the results or not, you have a purpose and should never deny it.”

Thanks grandma, I will remember this day. And those I have helped along the way.”

Moments later her grandma faded leaving Sarah in the house alone to remember she did have a purpose and her life mattered.

The end