Ghost Stories....

Almost 3 months ago I moved to small town in Texas and into a home that was built in 1920.  It is quirky to say the least. There is plenty of work to do to restore this home and I imagine it will keep me busy for years and years. All of that said, it has a character and feel that I love and feels like home. 

When I told my friends about it, a few people said something along the lines.. “hey, maybe it will be haunted”.  I laughed and said yes, that would be “cool” provided everyone involved is “friendly” other than often wondering what kind of history it had and who might have lived here, and how they EVER lived without air conditioning or the “added on” bathroom,  I never gave it another thought until …  I realized quickly one night about 2 weeks ago that I was NOT OK with the idea of friendly spirits! 

Normally my grown son Evan is home almost every night. This night he went to stay with a friend and I was alone in the house for maybe the 2^nd time since we moved here.

I have a jewelry box on my dresser that my dear friend Jerilyn, who has since died, had “shabbied” up and gifted to me about 10 years ago.  I suppose at some point in that 10 years I realized that it had a music box, and I probably have cranked it up once or twice to hear what it played. It plays “The Entertainer”.   Anyways, I have NOT cranked it up in years and years.

So I’m in my office working, and I hear a music box.  I got into my bedroom and it is playing. What the heck?  I can’t explain it.. No bumping of it occurred.  Then I think well maybe it got bumped when I moved/packed it.  Hmmm… that was 10 weeks ago. So I move the box and watch the dial turn, and I’m just so puzzled. Then that changes to creeped out, and entertaining “other” possibilities.  Right then and there it was made clear to me that in all actuality I am not OK with this idea J.  Next thing I know, I find myself doing what I think any fraidy cat Christian would do.. Pray and think about calling someone to come "bless" my house. Then I took the box and fully spun the dial to exhaust the remainder of the song and went to bed, and like most of these stories go...I didn’t sleep too good.

Days later, I contemplated sounding really stupid asking my grown son if he had been “playing” with the music / jewelry box.  Finally,  not being able to stand it – I ask him, and  he said “ Oh, yeah – I turned it on a few days ago!”  Oy. 

So, I'm still not 100% sure where I stand.. I believe our bodies have spirits. I further believe that spirits can be on this earth. But have never believed that they manifest themselves in sound, movement of things or in other ways just out of boredom, or to scare mortals.  So I find it interesting how quick I was to question what I thought about that when my music box was playing. Regardless, in  the end - spirits or not - good or bad, I guess I am really Ok with it.  I like the idea of thinking that ancestors and others might be looking out for and protecting me, and I further believe a person can command Satan (or any of his angels) to depart, in the name of Jesus Christ and that also brings me comfort when I am bieng a fraidy cat.