Excerpt from If It Hadn’t Happened to Me

As promised, I've included another excerpt from my forthcoming book, If It Hadn't Happened to Me. This time, I'm sharing the first part of a story about my own experience.

In future blogs, I will give you a glimpse of the Table of Contents, and maybe a few more snippets from the book. I am grateful to the many contributors who made this collaborative work an interesting source of proof that there is still much unknown and greater than us in the universe.

The Scent

My soulmate and husband spent his last 10 days in the hospital succumbing to the cancer that had attacked his body for two and a half years. It was the worst experience of my life, but it was also a time of serious discussion. I finally had to face facts that my future would not include the man I loved most in the world, but that still did not stop me from praying for a miracle. 

During those 10 days, we spoke about everything − from how he wanted me to continue living to what happens next when someone dies. Like many people desperate not to lose someone so precious, I asked him to make contact with me if at all possible, and he promised he would. 

After losing him, I was devastated. I sat on the edge of my bed and stared straight ahead for what seemed like hours. I wailed and could find no peace. After a few days, I finally gave up hope that he would ever be able to make contact with me, except for one very strange dream. 

I was conscious of dreaming when the dream was suddenly interrupted. Steve appeared, completely devoid of any background. I was surprised and said, “Honey, you look so good.” No more was the gaunt face of illness and the ravaged effects of cancer on his body. He smiled and replied, “Vicki, I’m well,” and then he was gone, letting my dream resume. His appearance wasn’t like any dream I’d ever had, and it made me think of Biblical accounts where a prophet might have a vision within a dream. I just hoped it was real.

Then, less than two weeks after losing Steve, I began noticing a particular scent. It really was more like an odor because it was exactly like the smell in his hospital room – a mixture of sterile hygiene and a body shutting down. It was very distinct. (more to come...)