I've been fascinated with the stories of loved ones letting their presence be known
from beyond, particularly the ones about cars. My story, however, has nothing
to do with the car radio! My mother passed away at the young age of 54 after a
long battle with cancer. Being the oldest daughter, I took a leave of absence
from work during my Mom's final months to care for and be with her. On a rainy
afternoon about a month before she died, I was stretched across her bed talking
while she played with my hair. I asked her that if she could after she died, would
she give me a sign to let me know she was okay. She said that better yet, she
would be my guardian angel. She was able to keep her sense of humor up until
the end.
The second week in June, she finally gave up her battle and died peacefully in her
sleep. After the service at the funeral home, I decided I wanted to drive my own
new car to the cemetery rather than ride in one of the limos so I could have some
time alone. On the way there, my "check engine" light lit up and then started
flashing! At first, I was horrified that my car would break down and I wouldn't
make it to the cemetery but after a few miles of the car driving fine but the check
engine light still flashing, I said "Hi Mom - are you going to live in my car now?"
I was joking at the time.
In the weeks after the funeral, I took my car into my regular mechanic and then to
the dealer and spent over $500 to try and get that aggravating light to go out, but
to no avail. It's now been 11 years and 120,000 miles and my check engine light
still flashes at me at least once per trip. I've long ago outgrown this car and
bought others but can't bear to part with it even though it spends most of the
time under a cover in the driveway. My only son turns 16 this week and I've been
teaching him to drive my little old car (it's a stick) and told him to treat my
faithful old car like a lady because she is. After all these years looking after me,
I'm happy to pass the car on to my son so my mom can watch over him now.
Sandy - West Chester, OH
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