My father died on Christmas eve 2005 at 11:50 pm.

Exactly three years later on Christmas eve 2008 I went to visit my mother in the evening around 8 pm.  She was understandably sad, this being the anniversary at such a difficult time of year.  It was the first year she had ever been home "alone" on Christmas eve because she and my dad always went out on Christmas eve, and since he died I have always gone with her to church.  This year we were both too tired and busy.  We didn't go to church.  She was home by herself wrapping presents and feeling down / lonely when I visited at 8 pm. 

My mom has a shoulder injury and she has a hard time lifting with one arm.  She was trying to wrap heavy boxes and trying to flip them over on the paper which was very difficult for her.  I helped as best I could, but couldn't stay very long because my children were at home. 

I went home feeling badly for her loneliness at this time of year. 

At 11:45 pm I went to have a shower and I tried to send a telepathic message to my deceased dad.  It had always been his "job" to wrap the presents so I said "dad, mom is having a very hard time wrapping those heavy boxes.  She wants you to be there.  She is really sad.  Please let her know you are there and give her a hand".  I wasn't sure what I expected him to do but I imagined that he could blink the lights or something. 

The next morning on Christmas mom told me that at 11:50 pm (the time of his death three years before), she was looking at my dad's picture and also joking with him saying "this is your job.  you should be here to wrap this for me".  Suddenly the chandelier went from full brightness to complete darkness, very slowly. It wasn't like a brown out.  It slowly went pitch dark.  Then the lights went back up.  This happened twice.  She was overwhelmed with emotion. 

When she finished crying she went back to the heavy box and turned it over no problem.  Her arm did not hurt again in the least even though she has severe damage in the shoulder.  She wrapped the gift effortlessly.  On Christmas Day she was nervous about lifting the turkey into the oven because it was so heavy.  Once again her shoulder instantly recovered. 

When I told my mom I had asked dad to blink the lights and help her, at the exact moment that the lights blinked, she couldn't believe it.

Was this experience difficult to express in words?  No

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes myself and my mother

Were there any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?            No