The profound meaning and mystery of deathbed visions

www.washingtonpost.com

Democracy Dies in Darkness

Style

As Shirley was dying, she kept seeing the grandmother she’d lost long ago.

Illustration of two people backlit seeing a scene in full color of a red farm

(Illustrations by Katty Huertas/The Washington Post)

For as long as she can remember, Debbie Eichensehr has feared losing her mother. Throughout her early childhood and well into her teen years, she tried to quell her anxiety with a bedtime ritual. Before going to sleep, she would kiss her mother’s cheek and recite the same words: