I have always been a believer of signs. Not necessarily the signs on the road or advertising signs, but signs from the Universe, God, Creator, Goddess, or whatever name we choose to call the great mystery. One of the signs that have always appeared when I needed confirmation, has been finding feathers on my path.
Now believing in signs and paying attention to them is a different story. I know that there are signs everywhere to guide me to where I need to go and be, and yet I fail to pay attention and I continue to do things my way because I think I need to.
There have been times in my life when I have experienced despair and I question everything. In my despair I question my existence and everything good that has carried me thus far in my life. I question it because I can’t make sense of what is happening and why things keep turning out opposite than what I expected. “I’m doing my part,” I think to myself, why aren’t things working out?
Life has a funny way of teaching us lessons so that we can prepare for the amazing gifts that it has to offer. These lessons come in many different ways and sometimes more times than once. Just when I think I have learned the lesson I find myself in the same classroom yet in a different chair, meaning that I recognize the lesson. And while I thought I had learned the lesson, here it is again with a deeper understanding of what I thought I had learned.
When I am in these times of not being able to make sense of what is happening, I remember the times past when I felt this way and I would ask, “Please give me a sign, that all is going to be okay, that I’m on the right path even though it doesn’t feel like it.”
Then the signs would come and from them a sense of peace would come over me. They would give me the strength to keep moving forward and to trust that everything has its purpose and that it will become clear in time.
In 2007 my dream of moving to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina had come true. Then the day came when I questioned my move—I was struggling financially, my son was having a challenging time in his new environment, and nothing was working out in my favor; or so I thought. I became depressed and decided to take the kids to their dad’s in Florida for the winter break so I could come back to North Carolina to figure things out.
On my drive back from Florida I was feeling quite frustrated, confused, and scared about what to do. I remember the day was sunny and the traffic was going smoothly. The song “Calling All Angels” by Train came on the radio. This was and is one of my favorite songs. I started singing along to the lyrics, “I Need A Sign.” I remember singing these words from deep within me and I truly was asking for a sign as tears ran down my face. I needed a sign because I was at a loss for what to do and I felt so alone.
As I was driving along and singing this song I noticed this small white car and it appeared that it was trying to pass me, which I found strange because there wasn’t much traffic on the highway. The car was going from my left side to my right and I ignored them. I finally decided to look over to give them a look and ask what their problem was. As I looked over, the car was full of young college age kids and one of them was holding a sign that said, “We Love You!”
I was speechless and it took my breath away. At that moment I felt that my prayer for a sign had been answered. I felt a peaceful warmth come over me and I believed that everything was going to be all right. All I needed to do was to do my part—to do the footwork and let go of the outcome.
There have been other times when I have gotten signs just when I needed them. It is good to remember these times when life offers me the opportunity to learn new lessons or revisit old ones.
The signs are all around us, as many as we need.
