Possible Identity

Occasionally I wonder who the fireplace ghost is, but to be honest it doesn't really matter. I just appreciate and enjoy its company. It could be a relative or friend of mine, a complete stranger, a guardian angel, or maybe it's even a vessel for any spirit that wishes to make contact with me or my guests.

In order to determine who it could be, the timeline needs to be looked at. I mentioned in my first post that there was lamp that used to turn on at my parents place, so these two may well be related. There were many people to pass away around the time that the lamp started turning on, indicating several possibilities. The two that stand out to me would be my grandma, and my good friend who passed away when we were 15 years old.

On April 21, 2014 it hit me like it does every year that the following day would mark another anniversary of my friend's death day. This one 11 years since his passing. My boyfriend was over that evening, and I was reminiscing to him about some fond memories, as well as going back over the way by which he died. I was in the kitchen making supper, and he was in the living room. I remember that I wanted to wrap up the conversation as it as making me a little sad when at that moment my boyfriend's body completely froze while starring at something. I said, "what is it?" and he finally peeled his eyes away from what the fireplace and said, "the fireplace just came on, right in front of me".

To be honest I didn't even make the connection right away, but did think it was neat as this was the first time he had appeared for my boyfriend. I probably said something to the effect of "well that's pretty crazy, maybe he wants to stay for supper?" but his words were "it's him!".

Well now that would be a sign now wouldn't it?

Advice

I've researched soul mates, and sources say that when two first come together the intensity is often so great that it breaks them apart, but that the two will often find each other again after a period of time to cool off.

In my last post, I mentioned an epic breakup with my boyfriend. I described it as so, mainly because the relationship was intense right from us first meeting, through to its abrupt demise. We met each other on an online dating website. He was the first person I replied to, and the first and only person that I actually met in person. We hit it off immediately, becoming inseparable very quickly.

Soon after beginning our relationship he was spending most nights at my place, and after two months we decided that he should just move in officially. I don't fall for people easily, and am usually very cautious in dating therefore the pace at which this one moved was significantly out of character. So out of character that I believed he was "the one", especially because we always commented on how we felt as though we had known each other for years prior. Almost as though we were picking up where we left off, in a past life.

After a series of unfortunate and incredibly stressful events in his life, emotions ran too high to make the relationship work. We broke up after only three months, and did not exchange a single word for another four at which time I found myself thinking about him randomly one day, with intensity. I reflected on the relationship and break-up, and wondered how he was doing. It was the kind of situation where you haven't thought about a person in a forever and then when you do, you get a phone call from them or run into them shortly after. That is exactly what happened, for that evening I received a message from him on the dating site that we first met on.

We exchanged messages back and forth, but I couldn't help the feeling of uncertainty around whether or not I should let this person back into my life. So I did what I do with all dilemmas; I asked the fireplace ghost. I was getting ready for bed one evening and I said "if it is right for me to give him another chance, please have me wake up to your light in the living room".

It's funny how clueless we can be when we first wake up in the mornings, as the next day I walked out of my room and said "oh the fireplace is on" all nonchalant. Until I realized what it meant, then my jaw dropped.

My soul mate and I have been back together ever since. The fireplace ghost is simply always right.

Peaks & Valleys

Life is inherently cyclical, always shifting between "smooth sailing", and feeling as though not a single thing is going your way. The low periods are often a sign that you are on the wrong path, and while it sucks to be stuck in a rut, we need these times in order to make necessary adjustments in our lives. Possibly most important though, is the fact that we need these low points in order to not take for granted the times in our lives when everything has fallen in to place.

 
There was quite a lengthy period of time where the fireplace ghost was non-existent. This also happened to be a particularly rough transitional period in my life. My boyfriend and I had just had an epic breakup, my job was completely unfulfilling, and I was questioning my passion for the sport that I had poured so much of my energy into.

My walk home from work is my time to reflect. There were many days that I would be so disappointed with my life, that by the time I reached the halfway point I would be near tears. By this point in my journey the crowd of walkers would thin, and once across the bridge I would reach the steepest part of the walk. I would begin the climb with attack. A good pace for the first several steps, but as the climb intensified, so would my thoughts. I would feel the sorrow wash over me, and each step would get more difficult. By half-way up the hill it would take every ounce of my being to keep my feet moving. The tears would begin to fall, and then continue all the way home. I remember one particular day vividly, because it was late fall/early winter and the temperature outside was cold enough that I could feel the tears freezing on my face.

When I walked through my front door I had one of those silly moments that we sometimes have when we are upset, where you come up with things that are fairly irrational. I said out loud, "no one cares about me... even the fireplace ghost doesn't care about me anymore!" I immediately went to use the washroom, leaving the bathroom door open as I often do when home alone. This provides me with a fairly unobstructed view into the living room. I'm sitting there, still dwelling on my sense of isolation from both people and spirits, when I hear a funny noise. "No way", I said to myself as I peaked my head outside of the bathroom. The fireplace had turned on.

 

The Sign

I've always believed that we as humans make life more difficult than it needs to be. We constantly wonder if we are making the right decisions; "should I take this new job?", "should I date this person?" and even after the decision is made we wonder if it was indeed the right choice. My very simple advice to you is to just ask for a sign that will give you either a push in the right direction, or provide peace that a decision you did make was the right one. Be open to receiving the sign, or in other words, be very aware of things that could be signs as they are often quite subtle. When you identify an event as a sign you'll know, because you're probably going to immediately stop what you're doing and say "holy shit" to yourself.

After my fireplace had been mysteriously turning itself on for approximately three years, and after extensive deliberations as to what could be causing it, I found myself utterly perplexed. I decided it was time to simply ask for a sign, a confirmation, that the cause was indeed spiritual in nature.

The Dream

One night I had a dream. In it, I was sitting on my sofa in the living room, across from the fireplace. It was beginning to get dark outside and the power was out. I remember it being very cold in my apartment, and I felt unsettled which is something I rarely feel when I'm home alone. Despite being curled up in a blanket I was still noticeably cold, and getting more freaked out as time went by. Then, all of a sudden the fireplace came on and filled the room with warmth. Let me remind you that the fireplace is electric, and the power was out. I woke up.


That morning I got up, and ready for work before heading to the kitchen for breakfast. I don't have a formal eating area, but I do have two bar stools pulled up to the kitchen counter which is perpendicular to the wall with the fireplace. I sat down with my cereal, and immediately heard a funny noise behind me. I turned around. The fireplace was on.

Introduction

When a phenomenon occurs repeatedly for which there is no obvious explanation, it is hard not to consider if the cause is spiritual. For the first few years of living alone in my apartment I would come home to the fireplace turned on for no apparent reason. In the beginning it didn’t happen very often, perhaps a few times per year, but as the years have gone by it happens more and more often. Over time it has become an increasingly fascinating mystery.

About the Fireplace

Let me tell you a little bit about my fireplace. It’s electric, and it has an “on” switch which allows power to reach it, however to actually be turned on, you must use the accompanying remote control. When I first moved in, the battery in the remote control was dead. Therefore, I was unable to turn the fireplace on; no way, no how. I tried repeatedly as nothing would have made me happier on a minus 30 degree Celsius evening. “Why didn’t you buy a new battery”? You ask. Please, it took me years before I got around to doing that.

So, at this point in time this fireplace was not turning on by anyone’s choice. I told my dad about it who is also my landlord, and a previous inhabitant of the apartment, and who I might add had never experienced this strange phenomenon while he was living here. We came up with various ideas as to what could be causing it. Things such as; 

• My neighbor’s fireplace is on the same wall, therefore when he turns it on using his remote it also turns on mine. Disproved because the fireplace will come on repeatedly in the summer months.
• My cat turns it on. Disproved because if I couldn’t turn it on, how does a cat turn it on.
• Other remote controls such as the one for the television can also randomly turn the fireplace on. Perhaps, but it never happens in front of my eyes while using said remote.

About the Ghost

The reason for calling it the Fireplace Ghost is obvious, as most of my experiences have involved my fireplace. But this ghost has been following me for some time now. Before I moved out on my own, the ghost turned on the lamp in my parents’ bedroom.  I guess it’s really the “I-Like-Things-That-Light-Up” Ghost. I would often come home from school in the afternoon, walk up the stairs to my bedroom, and look the opposite way down the hall to see that my parents’ lamp was blazing. It became such a regular occurrence that everyone in my family was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing.

My brother’s experience with the ghost was the most interesting. He would often stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing video games. One night, he needed to go to the washroom and when he left his bedroom and peeked down the hall there was the light shining from my parent’s bedroom. Dad was fast asleep despite it.  My brother also claims to have seen someone standing in his doorway one night, but whether or not this is true or related is up for debate.

I believe that the “Fireplace” Ghost is mine, following me from my parents’ house to my own apartment. This blog will chronicle the numerous experiences I have had with this spirit, and the profoundly positive impact that it has had on my life.