When journalist Mitch Finley placed an ad in newspapers asking for true stories of people who had experienced the presence of deceased loved ones, he was amazed at the immediate response. People from all over the country wrote in to share their experiences. Among them:
* A little girl who dies sends the scent of flowers to comfort her father and sister:
* An eccentric uncle returns to say thank you in his own inimitable way;
* A grandmother comes back to care for a crying baby at a time when the mother is exhausted;
* A woman's father makes his presence known through his favorite red flannel shirt.
Mitch Finley learned that such encounters are more common than one might think. Surveys revealed that as many as 50% of the population have felt the presence of someone who died. Famous spiritual authors such as C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, and Frederick Buechner wrote about their own experiences. As Mr. Finley re-read the letters, he pondered their meaning and reflected upon the lyrics of a favorite hymn, Blessed Assurance, which praises God for "whispers of love." "That phrase," he writes, "describes perfectly what people feel when they encounter the presence of a deceased relative or friend. Invariably, the experience is a loving and healing one." And thus the title of his reassuring book.