Orbs... Dust? Or Loved Ones?

I honestly have no idea, but I'd like to believe they're loved ones....

Orb Story #1

While taking Amanda back to college in Feb. 2005, we took a little detour so I could drive her past the apartment I lived in as a kid (from summer 1959 - summer 1960). What are the odds that it was vacant with a FOR RENT sign on it? We called the phone # listed and the landlord agreed to let us view the apartment "for old time's sake" (sooo nice of him!)... My sister happened to be with us, so that made it even more special! Before the landlord showed up to let us in I silently asked my mom, who we lost almost 13 years ago, to join us as we revisited our old home...

(feel free to click any orb photos to enlarge them )

This apartment holds wonderful memories (I fell in love with windowseats because of this room!). I took many photos that day. It wasn't until I got home and looked at them on my computer that I realized I had multiple orbs, something I'd never had in any of my photos up until that day. Here's one in the dining room (I've tried to put arrows wherever I spotted them in the photos)...

But it was this photo of Amanda that I found amazing! She was like an orb magnet! Perhaps my Mom took me up on my invitation to join us and also brought along my Nana, Gamp, aunt, uncle, and other loved ones who Amanda never met!

Maybe that explains why they're clustered all around her!

Orb story #2

A couple of weeks later when dad was over, we were talking about visiting the old apartment and how we wished he had come with us that day. While we were talking about it, the dining room light started flickering and I jokingly said to dad, "Mom must be here!" I told him I was going to take a photo of him, just for the heck of it, to see if anything showed up (I still couldn't get over the orbs in my apartment photos!)... Well, I didn't really expect to get another orb but, sure enough, there one was right between dad and the dining room chandelier that had been flickering...

Orb story #3

My sister cut this Family Circus cartoon out of the paper for me back in May of 1997, five months after our mom passed away. She knew it would remind me of Mom, who loved going to all of the girls' recitals, performances, or school plays... I love it so much that twelve years later I still have it hanging in my office.

(copyright Bil Keane)

A few years ago, when Court was still in high school, she was in a school play (naturally I took photos at those performances!)... When I opened up the following photo on my computer, I immediately thought of the Family Circus cartoon... I captured several orbs in the auditorium seating section, and I've often wondered if what I really captured was departed loved ones who had come to watch their children or grandchildren perform that evening, just as Bil Keane had depicted.

I've tried to put arrows where I spotted them.

After the play was over, more photos were taken out in the lobby, where this was taken...

There's an amazing orb pressed right up against Court's ear, and I love to think it's my mom whispering to Court that she did a fantastic job!

After all, mom and Court did have a special "ear to ear" connection... When Court learned to whisper she didn't quite grasp the concept of "lips to ear," so she'd put her little ear next to Mom's and whisper away, much to my mother's delight!

So again... dust or loved ones? I'm voting for loved ones!!

Donna