There are many, many legends and tales of items that are considered haunted. An incredible amount of these stories take on a macabre flavor by claiming the objects are cursed and bring any manner of unpleasant experiences, such as bad luck, poltergeist activity, and even all the way to being to being the cause of death to the owner. However, there are some less scary, but just as real accounts where it seems to be more of a message, like reminding somebody that they are still around or making certain their wishes are known.
Gwen Smith related her account that is very similar to these tales. I will be the first person to tell you that Gwen is a very smart and practical-minded woman who works hard. She is very open and honest, and I never have to worry about having her tell me exactly what she thinks. It is one of the things about her which I enjoy. Her basic personality is one of the reasons I have no reason to doubt her.
Now, when Gwen was younger, she was married. Her husband, Payton, committed suicide, several years ago. Suicide is always the hardest on the survivors, and nobody but the person who takes his or her own life can ever understand why. During what must have been unspeakable grief, Gwen and her best friend decided to become roommates and save for a larger place to live. Since Gwen’s place at the time was small, the friends had to share a bedroom and bed.
There was a table lamp that had been given to Gwen and Payton for their wedding. It was one of those handy lamps that has three different settings to accommodate the needs of the user. With just a touch, it could adjust the lighting. Gwen set the lamp on the bedside table.
When Gwen’s friend would come in late, she would just slip into the bed quietly, so she wouldn’t wake Gwen. The side of the bed she would use was the side of the bed had once belonged to Payton. Now, Gwen habitually would turn off the lamp before she went to sleep every night.
One such morning, she was awakened around 4:30 by the lamp going through all three touch settings. The important note here is that there was no visible reason for it. Nobody was touching that lamp while it was doing it. As mentioned previously, Gwen is a smart and practical woman, and she first checked to make sure nothing was touching the lamp that she could see. She even had the presence of mind to check the breakers and make sure there was not just a normal, sound reason. She found nothing to explain it.
As this phenomenon continued over the next month or so, Gwen gave it much thought and consideration and came to the conclusion that it was a message from Payton, and what he was saying was that he did not like anyone but Gwen sleeping on his side of the bed. This was simply his method of telling her so. Ultimately, Gwen unplugged the lamp and packed it away, which could not have been easy for her. Some may have been afraid to touch it, but Gwen is a strong woman, so faced the situation in a courageous way.
After a time, Gwen’s friend was able to get her own place. Gwen gave the lamp to her friend, who reports that it has never shown activity like that to this day. Perhaps, it was not the lamp that was “haunted.” It was simply the best way for Payton to communicate his wishes to his wife, and perhaps he also wanted her to know that he was still with her.
Honestly, it can be a comfort to think that we have loved ones who have passed away nearby, or it can scare the living crap out of you when you are startled awake in the wee hours by something that cannot quite be explained. This may not be some sensational story like you hear about curses from mummies or deceased people whose evil carried over through their deaths, but a person would have to be in Gwen’s shoes, and imagine how he or she would feel, and such an account is something that should be considered just as important as the dramatic stories that are passed along until they become urban legends.
So was Gwen correct in her conclusion that the spirit of her husband was trying to get her notice and counted on her to understand what message he was sending? Or did the lamp just go fritzy? I tend to agree with Gwen and believe it was Payton, and he was basically saying, “Just so you know…”
***Names have been changed at the request of the lady who told the tale to me. However, the story is not fiction.***
