[Dailydrool] Signs

[Valerie via Dailydrool]

I do not know whether or not I believe in afterlives or signs from beyond. The religious tradition with which my family identifies (Quaker) does not much concern itself with such questions, and a personal existential bent further clouds the issue. But occasionally I, as I am sure many of you have, have an experience which feels as though it is a sort of communication. I know human brains are designed to make patterns and assign meanings of any data, so...But,  anyway this is not meant to open a spiritual discussion, or examine the legitimacy or origins of such feelings in grief, just to share an experience, part of which is a bit amusing.

The day Harley died, I was beside myself. I sat on the swing on our lanai crying for hours. At some point I noticed a monarch butterfly flitting in ours and the neighbor's yard near our lanai. It stayed for several hours, pretty unusual, and when finally it left, a second monarch flew in, briefly, lit on the lanai railing and then followed the direction of the first. I have not seen any since, and actually it is pretty rare to see them here. (Or perhaps I just do not notice them usually). The last time I wrote of seeing one was a few months ago at our vet's office for one of Harley's cancer appointments when a monarch went to considerable trouble to get into and out of the veterinary lobby and I had said Commander Bo was checking on Harley. well, this time I could imagine Harley and Commander Bo were checking on me.

Later, that night, again tearful in bed, I told myself It was nice my imagination was active and trying to help me out with my feelings, but c'mon--at which point my nostrils were flooded with the unmistakeable odor of dog urine (and no, Mila hadn't had an accident, and the floors were recently mopped). Then, I laughed, finally, and said to myself, "jeepers creepers, Harley, if you are sending a sign your spirit lives on and is okay, DOG URINE???!" and it occurred to me --well, why not--wouldn't that be appropriate? That's how dogs sign their signatures for each other.  and I felt better.  Val vlbzwick at yahoo.com