Do you remember the song "Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer"? There is a line in there at the end that says after the whole ordeal "... as for me and Grandpa, we believe." I had my believer's moment in 2001 when it comes to the supernatural.
My grandmother was in town during a rare visit. You see, this trip would be on of the first where she was able to meet up with her brother-in-laws. Father Frank and Father Jack worked in the Catholic church back home in Vancouver. They were all getting up in age but it was a time for me to get to see all of them in the same setting for the first time. My brother arranged a tour of the strip in a limo and we had a dinner at the Palace Station. It was during dinner that I thought to ask something that had been in the back of my mind for some time.
Dinner was already served and I turned to one of the fathers (my great uncles) and mentioned the recent re-release of the film The Exorcist. I asked him how he felt about the film. He said, "They usually aren't that violent. But you might want to ask my brother as that's his job." My jaw dropped. Sure, if I went to church and heard that, I'd expect it of someone that wasn't family... but not this. Especially with an answer with the calm demeanor of someone not phased by the question. I also didn't think the church would want him to be that open about it.
So, I talked to him for a little bit. He mentioned that he was being called out to a lot of nearby Canadian Indian reservations to help these spirits make their transition. When many of these cultures pray and praise the spirit of the wolf, eagle, dog, horse, snake, bull and all manner of beast, some get lost on the way. Anyhow, that is when he told me this story.
A man leaves work early and comes home to find his wife in bed with his best friend. The husband was shot in the process and died. The widow and former-best friend are now living together. It was after a few he moved in that things started happening around the house. The gate leading to the house would open and close (with no wind in the area.) The doors in the house would not stay shut. This would happen every time the new man of the house would come home. The wife was in a panic and it wasn't helping their relationship any. The father resolved this one rather easily but told me that sometimes a spirit stays in a place it held most dear and only wants to not be forgotten. Of course, my interpretation was that he was asserting his ownership of the home by reminding the 'man of the house' that it wasn't his upon his arriving there.
There are a lot of ghost stories out there and I've written a few myself. But, having confirmation from someone that works in that area for a living... helped me accept it more. Of course, I find many people have personal experiences with the supernatural. Usually, I just listen, smile and think back to talking with Father Jack and Father Frank Hennessy on a random topic and getting an answer that I didn't expect. I guess as for myself, the fathers and a few others out there, "we believe."