My eyes widened with awe; it was as if I was staring at an otherworldly version of myself.

An ordinary person would be frightened at this moment, however, I felt enlightened.

I wandered into this forest while pondering thoughts of the mystical side of life.

Throughout my childhood, I have often seen or heard things that “weren’t there.”

I knew in my heart that my connection with the spirit realm was profound, even though my father routinely debunks whenever I acknowledge a supernatural presence.

“You sound just like your mother. Why don't you go live with her.” he would say while slamming his room door behind him.

My mother, the few pieces I've been able to put together about her, and this gift that we have in common come from my father's insolent remarks and his dead mother, who communicates with me through the television. I've never met either, but supposedly my parents were once madly in love with one another. My grandmother would invite her over twice a week for dinner, where they would eat and play card games together. The way my father talks about her, I would never guess. He talks about his mother, though from time to time, Grandma Adelyn. My mother, Francine, first disclosed her gifts to grandma as she tried to work out a way to tell my father. An astute biologist who fell in love with logic and philosophy first before he met my intuitive spiritualist of a mother. She knew upon meeting him that their connection would grow weary, but it was enough to have me and keep our lineage of mystics alive.

Before leaving home, I turned on the television. I never actually watched TV for as long as I could remember whenever I sat in front of it alone, the channels would flip, and the guide would come up and glitch without me even touching the remote. As I got older, I understood this was my grandmother's way of communicating with me. The first instance of me understanding this was directly after my father & I visited her grave when I was 13. We go twice a year every year on her birthday and her death day. I arrived home that day, and she used the words on the tv guide and flipped to shows and movies of a grandmother, and a young girl communicating with spirits, to let me know about my gifts and that my father would not understand. Over the years, whenever I chose to sit in front of the tv, it was only to receive a message from Grandma Adelyn.

Today’s message led me to this forest about a mile and a half from our suburban home.

From what I could make out, it was as if someone wanted to meet me? The guide lit up on the movies “Forrest Gump” and “Message in a Bottle,” there were a few clues shown in the film as well, but I've learned to let my intuition help guide the way.

As I walked around the spectral presence in front of me and reached out to touch it, my hand pierced its sheer dress but felt nothing but air. Suddenly her hand shot up, and I felt cold chills run through me. It was a warm summer day, so my goosebumps were just a premonition for what happened next.

As she slowly brushed her hair back and reached out to touch mine, we simultaneously confirmed the presence of each other.

“My child,” she whispered.

“Mother,” I confirmed.