When I was a little girl, my grandmother sat me down and shared with me a story that has stayed in my heart ever since.
When her mother died, my grandmother was very worried about what had happened to her after her passing. She prayed to God every evening for a sign that her mother was okay. My grandmother loved birds—so much so, that she had a huge birder feeder at the edge of the woods and every morning she would sit and drink her coffee and watch the birds have their breakfast. Because of the neutral backdrop, the male cardinals always stood out from her window. After her mother died, she noticed that the cardinals were no longer at her feeder. Months went by and not a single cardinal.
My grandmother, still worried about her mother, asked God again for a sign. The next day, my grandmother looked out her window and saw the most beautiful red cardinal. It sat on the feeder for quite awhile looking back at my grandmother with a quiet presence. My grandmother felt a warm peaceful energy and in that moment knew that her mother was in heaven. She believed this was her sign and from that moment forward, cardinals always held a special place in her heart. And it held a special place for me too — how magical to live in a world where there are signs from the universe here to help us navigate our lives.
If you think about it, our lives are enveloped with signs. Signs that help us with our latest dilemma. Signs that reassure us we are loved. Signs that tell us “LEAP!” – it’ll all be ok. Signs that tell us that we are not alone. Signs that tell us “yes, you are correct, get the heck out of there!”. The universe is listening and wants to hold our hand with us in that moment. Signs are powerful reminders that we are all connected— words, music, animals, objects, nature, other humans. They can elevate our awareness, share a solution, ease a worry.
How do you “find” a sign? One way is like my grandmother did, ask. Outloud or quietly . . . set an intention or pose a question. And then pay attention —- the sign may be a little out of the ordinary or in fact, be downright ordinary. When we open our vibration to receiving signs, they appear almost like magic. A random bumper sticker, a comment from the man standing behind us in the grocery store line, a song on the radio.
Another way to find a sign is to get quiet and notice our surroundings. With all of our visual overload, what attracts our attention? What stands out? And instead of letting our rational mind respond, allow for a creative and sometimes, irrational response. For example, how can this oddly-shapened tree hold an answer to the feeling that my life seems out of balance?
And even without asking, signs appear in our lives. Have you heard people say I missed the signs that were all around me? Are we too busy, too distracted to notice? To be in the moment? To get quiet and discover the truth and wisdom whispering messages right in front of our noses.
The universe is an abundant source of magical knowledge that can awaken us to our own wisdom about what we truly know deep, deep down inside (in the part of us that always knows). The signs help point us home – to teach us to trust that inner wisdom. And to listen to the source that knows us best—ourselves.
In fact, just two nights ago, I was out walking in the woods and literally stumbled upon this cardinal (the one I’ve attached). There he was, sitting there looking at me—reminding me it was time to publish this blog.
