I believe in the afterlife, but a lot of people don’t, and many of those who do would still roll their eyes if I told them that my deceased husband communicates with me. Thus, I rarely tell anyone, unless I am utterly certain that he or she would believe me, or at least want to believe me.

Tonight, however, something happened that made me decide to risk ridicule. Before I get to what I experienced, I should give you the backstory.

Ever since my husband Frank died, in May 2019, lights flicker at odd times in rooms that I am in. From past supernatural occurrences (another story for another time), I was aware that the deceased, who are now pure energy, can manipulate certain energies, specifically electricity.

It often happens when I’m in my home office. The light flickers and I know I’m being visited. I always say “Hi, Frank” and “I love you.” It also happens in the bathroom, which kind of annoys me. My husband didn’t come into the bathroom when I was using it when he was alive, so why does he think he can now? But I forgive him, because spirits probably don’t trouble themselves with human conventions.

When I told one of my brothers about the lights flashing, he suggested that maybe my lightbulbs were burning out, or perhaps I had an electrical short in the house. But, the lightbulbs weren’t burning out. They’ve been functioning well for quite a while and continued to work after the flickering.

What persuaded me, beyond any doubt, that I was being visited by Frank was what happened last summer when I was in the hospital with inexplicable vertigo. I was in my hospital bed, being attended by a nurse, when the light above me flickered. I was very worried about what was causing my vertigo, but when the light blinked, I knew I wasn’t alone. I knew my husband was with me. I was in a double room, but due to the pandemic, only one person per room was allowed. I was also not permitted to have my son, or anyone, with me. It was lonely, but knowing Frank was with me was reassuring.

My husband’s antics didn’t reassure the nurse, however. “Why is the light above your bed flickering?” she asked. I shrugged. There was no way I was going to furnish her with a crazy story she could share with the other hospital personnel. I could just imagine the laughter echoing in the hallways.

My husband has been flicking the lights ever since, but he has upped his game recently. For the last few months, when the light in my office flashes quickly, I still say “I love you.” But, lately, occasionally my words appear on my computer screen via the Siri app. I didn’t even know that my new laptop had Siri until the day I saw the app surface at the upper right corner of my computer screen with the words, “I love you, sweetheart” on it.

I was a little taken aback. If Siri heard me say that, what else has she heard? Each time, I closed the Siri screen immediately. I figured I had somehow activated the app without knowing it.

Until tonight. After spending a lovely evening at a friend’s house, I went to my office and sent my friend a quick thank-you message. As soon as I finished, the light flashed. I looked around, trying to discern where Frank might be, and then said, “Hey, sweetheart. I love you. I love you wherever you are.”

Then Siri popped up on my screen. After being initially surprised — I’ll never get used to Siri’s sudden appearances or her spying — I read what was written. Her wording of what I said was a little off, but what was written below my statement was the real shocker: “You are the wind beneath my wings.”

Where did that sentence come from? I didn’t say anything like that. Was my husband responding?

Have I found the link between the afterlife and human life? Is it Siri?

I doubt it’s Bette Midler.