I Hear, I See....

This afternoon I needed to run a few errands.  Gas up the car, pick up a bottle of wine and go to the grocery store for the fixings for a fresh summer grilled dinner.  Before I left my house I had a thought that I should detour to the local “summer hot spot” Weir’s Ice Cream Bar.  It has been a staple in Washingtonville as long as I can remember.  As a kid and along with my kids I can recall many a summer night standing on a line that snaked and touched the outer edge of the road as I waited to order my chocolate soft serve ice cream cone with chocolate sprinkles.  The long wait made my ice cream taste that much sweeter and it was also advantageous for the mosquitos ….we both feasted on our favorite treats….mine was the ice cream, and theirs was my flesh! 

 With that familiar gnawing feeling in my gut I ran my errands.  First the liquor store, then the gas station, and finally off to the grocery store.  I put my bags of fresh vegetables and steak into the car and headed towards Weirs Ice Cream Stand.  I’ve been trying to watch what I eat, but really how bad can a small twist (vanilla and chocolate) ice cream cone be for you? Honestly the pull that I felt to go to this childhood favorite spot was overwhelming.  If I have learned anything over these past five years it is to trust my instincts…..better known as my inner guidance.

  I pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car engine. As I was getting out of the car I noticed a teen aged boy with brilliant red hair and mirrored aviator sunglasses walking from the counter towards the picnic tables in the neighboring field. I recognized him immediately.  His Mother is one of my Facebook friends.  When I was in high school her mother taught in the school that I attended. And although I never sat in Mrs. Fox’s classroom through her kind spirit and compassionate soul she became a mentor, a confidant and a friend.  For an a six foot tall awkward girl in high school who just didn’t fit in with the other students a friendly, compassionate and understanding face was truly a gift sent from above. And today she was sent to reconnect with me via an ice cream cone!  Not only were my Facebook friend and her family enjoying a sweet summer treat, her parents (my Mrs. Fox) was with her too!

 The imprint that Nancy Fox had upon my life thirty some years ago has stayed with me to this day.  Be yourself and you will be seen.  Never ever underestimate your value in this life because even if you don’t see it, you are valuable.  And cleanliness is next to godliness!  (An inside joke as she assisted me in starting a little house cleaning service)

  With my small twist ice cream cone in hand I joined Nancy and her family.  It had been over four years since I had seen her and these past four years have been particularly significant for me. Today was simply the time to sit at the picnic table enjoy our cold summer treats and catch up on the, who, what and where of our lives. Another time we will catch up on the deep details that have etched the passing years.   Nancy asked if I still kayaked, which I do. I believe that one day this summer she and I will share a paddle upon a picturesque lake and fill in the blanks that occurred in between the years.  I am so grateful that I listened to that voice within that guided me to the ice cream stand this afternoon.  Not before my chores but after, when she would be there!

 That has been the story of my life these past few years…..I see, or I sense or I am guided, however the message comes.  In the past I have shrugged it off as nonsense, but now I listen and trust. On a Saturday in January of 2012 I wrote a blog post called “Love Letters”.  It was about the different ways that heart shaped images appear to me and that they, along with other “coincidences” are really love letters sent to us from our love ones now residing above. 

  After posting that blog I was compelled to send it to a distant Facebook friend who is an accomplished TV News Reporter, a writer, (she has written two books, Stay Tuned, Conversations with Dad, and I’m Spiritual Damit!) interviewed many spiritual leaders of our time, performed a one woman show and currently writes for the Chicago Tribune.  A full and diverse resume for sure and why I thought she would have any interest in a blog from a controller of a lumber and building supply cooperative about signs and connections from beyond escapes me, but something told me to send it.  So I did. Within a half hour I received a response from Jen she said “this was exactly what I needed to hear!  Thank you!”

  From then on each time I encountered another heart I sent it to her.  They appeared in rocks, gum, shells, flowers, clouds, tar, leaves and even tomato soup!  I never knew for sure if she truly appreciated the connective images or she was just a very kind soul humoring me.  That was until she asked to use my photos in her third book.  A few weeks ago her book was released digitally and after enough digital copies are sold it will be printed. I believe that one day I will hold her book, accompanied by my pictures introducing each chapter, in my hand.

  This long distance connection nurtured through the World Wide Web has been a gift to me.  Through it I have realized that the little things that I do and share with others really do matter.

  On June 2^nd as I was sitting in the Phoenix airport waiting for my flight that was to take off at 10:30 am and was rescheduled to take off twelve hours later at 10:30 p.m. I was reflecting on my magical and enriching trip to Sedona that week. And I wrote these words…

 ”Until you fully love yourself you cannot truly love someone else. We enter relationships with the expectations that they will complete us, make us whole, but the truth is that we need to embrace who we are first and be comfortable with that because it is not our partner’s job to do it for us.  It is only when we begin a relationship with an unencumbered heart that we will be able to fully and completely love another.”

  So back to connections.  Jenniffer Weigel’s third book is titled “This Is Not the Life I Ordered….Setting Sail When Your Relationship Fails.”  It may be a book that chronicles her life post-divorce, but it is really a book about learning to love yourself first….I love the parallel thoughts and themes.  We are all truly connected.  You just have to be open to hear and see. Down load it on Kindle, Nook or Vook (for your PC).  Jen is witty, honest and real…..you will feel as if you are sitting with a girlfriend sharing a cup of coffee or glass of wine and talking about what is going on in your life. (And if I must say the pictures are pretty good too!!­)

 These past several years I continue to trust what I hear and what I see.  Many times I am guided to take a picture and at the time I may not really see the gift captured within the image.  As I returned from a trip to Chicago in March to meet Jenniffer Weigel and another friend conducting a joint event I landed in Newark New Jersey.  As I was wheeling my suitcase to my car I was drawn to the sky and stopped to take several pictures….here is the image that appeared on the camera.

  Last week while out walking in my neighborhood once again I was drawn to the sky.  A mystical and magical image for sure that confirms we always have someone above watching out for us…..

….and today without seeing what was contained within the clouds I was compelled so to snap picture after picture……Maybe you too see why. 

 It has taken me many years to trust what I hear, see and sometimes only sense, but it is there…..listen to what you hear and drawn to do.  Your inner guidance is more acute than any GPS you can purchase and it will lead you to people and places that you never imagined.