[xiju]

Two of my experiences:

My father died in the hospital on his birthday, August 9, 1985. It was late at night and I was very upset, but still had to drive 35 miles home. I got into my car and started it up, by that time sobbing. All of a sudden, all I could smell was Old Spice, the aftershave my father always wore. I knew he was "sitting" in the passenger seat of my 2-seater sportscar. I gained my composure and drove home, comforted by his presence. When I parked the car in my driveway and turned off the ignition, the Old Spice scent vanished. I knew he was gone and has never visited again.

In 1988, I took my extremely aggressive Chinese Shar-Pei to the Vet to be neutered, at 8:30 on a Friday morning. At 11:50 a.m., I saw him "sitting" in the hallway, with his head caulked sideways, just looking at me. I said his name Jin Ju and then realized, hey wait a minute, you're at the Vet! The phone rang and when I answered it, it was the Vet calling to say my dog was dead. Jin Ju had come to say goodbye.