Who is accustomed to deal with turbulent waters knows how important it is the light of the lighthouse to show the safe direction. 

Sherry Hogan tells that his lighthouse was his father’s handkerchief. He did not care about the expensive cloth or the initials embroidered. What he really liked was the simple white cotton handkerchiefs.

Always with him, his father’s handkerchief was used to clean the popsicles disasters the children made in the back seat of the car.

It was useful to bandage Sherry’s favorite cat injury, after an unpleasant meeting of the cat with the neighbor’s dog.

More than once the handkerchief was used to dry Sherry’s tears when she was a teenager. When, at the age of twenty, she said goodbye to her father, before she left to Europe, she started crying, carried in panic.

The so familiar cotton square was useful to dry her tears while the father’s deep voice encouraged her to thrust and go.

Three years later, at her arrival, the first thing she saw in the airport, was the white handkerchief of her dad waving to her above the heads of the crowd.

In the Christmas of 1977 her father was very sick. The cancer had taken almost his entire body. Knowing he could leave at any moment Sherry went to buy beautiful handkerchiefs, made of linen, embroidered. Naturally she also bought a few made of cotton for a very popular price.

He opened up each one of the packages. Put at side all the fancy handkerchiefs, chose one from the cheap ones and said: I will only use the expensive ones in very important occasions.

The daughter hugged the father such as saying goodbye: You have always been there for me when I needed dad. – She said, with emotion.

He answered: And I will always be. Only in a different way. Trust me. 

Ten days later he left. Sherry began to miss him a lot.

Two months later she felt sad, discouraged. She knew he was in a better place but she needed his hug.

Talk to him, said her sister.

Crying, with nostalgia, she started talking, walking in the living room: Oh, daddy. I know you are in a better place. I believe in this thanks to you. But I miss you so much. I just wanted to know if you are alright. 

The silence was the answer. She started sobbing loudly. She could feel the sadness flowing through her body.

That was when she saw, through the corner of her eye: a big white square under her father’s chair. 

It was one of the new embroidered handkerchiefs. How did it end there? She cleaned the living room every morning. Where could it have come from?

The words of her dad came into her mind: I will only use the expensive ones in very important occasions.

Sherry understood. Her father had sent the answer: Dear, I’m fine. I have arrived home.

*   *   *

The beloved ones who go continue loving us, no matter the time.

Zealous, they keep watching for us and, in a subtle way, they are present in our lives.

Through the invisible wires of the prayer it is possible to feel their affection and the gentleness of their voices saying that they arrived well and will wait for us in time, patiently, for the delicate reunion.

Spiritist Moment Team, based on the text
Uma questão de confiança, by Seleções Reader´s Digest,
from September of 2000.
May 8.2014.