MEMOIR

The Story Behind My Grandparents’ Mirrorless House

Memories of a world where spirits moved through mirrors

Looking out of the window, I see the forest covered in snow. Big, heavy snowflakes are falling slowly, covering the earth with a fluffy blanket of memories and longing for coziness.

With my steamy mug of green tea, I travel back in time to the innocent days of childhood, when we believed in magic more than we do today.

A house without mirrors

On cold, snowy December mornings, my cousin Atlanta and I used to sit around the fire at my grandparents’ place, and my grandma used to tell us stories.

One of the most interesting woven tales my grandma told us was about ghosts that could move through mirrors. She said it was real.

It was a story that always sent shivers down my spine but that bound together our family’s past. It also explained why my grandparents’ house, which was near the woods, didn’t have any mirrors.

Spirits traveling through mirrors

In a hushed voice, with a strange sparkle in her eyes, my grandma began to tell a story that had been told for generations.

She said that mirrors weren’t just flat objects that reflected light; they were also ways for ghosts to get from the other world to ours.

Mischievous spirits were said to have found out about the magical properties of mirrors and used them as portals to enter the real world.

As it got stronger, the spirit caused problems in the lives of those it came across, so the people started believing that the mirrors in their homes were to blame.

My grandparents and the other townsfolk started taking down mirrors to protect themselves from these strange things that they couldn’t see.

The trees around their house seemed to hold secrets, and not having mirrors became a sign of respect for the supernatural forces that lived beyond the reflection.

The good spirit

My grandma whispered as she talked about a time when she was a child and met a good spirit that had come through a mirror.

She thought it was a departed relative sending love and safety to our family. Our family told stories about that gentle spirit, and the thought of spirits traveling through mirrors will always be a part of my youth. Perhaps that is why old photos and mirrors are linked in my mind.

The story of the good spirit took root in our hearts as the fireplace flames sparked and cast shadows on the walls.

Stories of the past

Atlanta and I loved looking through the old family photos and asked our grandma often about the long-gone relatives. I thought of how each of those people had a life and a story to tell, perhaps still trying to reach out from the past through various ways of spiritual magic.

Our grandparents' house was close to the forest and didn't have any mirrors. For us, it was a given fact that the balance between our world and the world of the dead resides within the trees beyond. We had our stories and our imagination to go about our days, inventing games and ignoring mirrors and appearances.

📬Did mirrors play any important part in your childhood?

📬Do you have any mirror memories to tell?

Let me know in the comments section. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Gabriela is studying to become a full-stack developer while being a mother of three small kids. This requires her to pay for some graduate programs and boot camps to gain experience. She is writing articles on Medium and Substack to inspire others and fund her journey.

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