I’ve always tried to keep an open mind when it comes to things I can’t necessarily explain. Signs from the universe, intuition, coincidences that seem a little too coincidental, the possibility that the people we’ve loved and lost might still find ways to let us know they’re around. I don’t know exactly what I believe, but I’m certainly willing to wonder about it. That’s what made “Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe” by Laura Lynne Jackson an interesting read for me. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t necessarily make you believe everything it suggests, but it does make you stop and think, What if?
This book explores the idea that signs may be all around us, but we don’t always recognize them. Sometimes they can be something seemingly ordinary – a song that suddenly reminds you of someone, a particular animal appearing at just the right moment, a familiar smell, a number that keeps showing up, or something that has a special meaning to you and someone you’ve lost. The idea is that these things may not always be random. Perhaps the people we love can communicate with us in ways that are subtle enough for us to overlook.
I found myself thinking about that idea quite a bit while reading the book. I tend to be somewhere in the middle when it comes to subjects like this. I’m not quick to dismiss them, but I’m not going to automatically assume every strange coincidence is a message from the universe either. Sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence. But there’s something comforting about allowing yourself to wonder whether there might occasionally be more to it.
And then, rather ironically, I finished the book and decided to put the whole idea to a little test.
I’ve been thinking about my Mom a lot lately, so yesterday morning I quietly asked her – just in my head – to show me a white flower if she was still with me in spirit. Mom loved white flowers, and I love them too. It seemed like a simple enough request.
We live in the country on acreage, and our lawn had just been mowed, so I wasn’t exactly expecting to find a field of white flowers waiting for me. When I went outside to feed the birds, I actually found myself looking around the landscaped lawn, wondering if I might spot a white flower. Nothing.
On my way back to the house, though, I happened to notice a little plant growing off to the side. It wasn’t anything particularly impressive. In fact, it was basically a weed. But when I looked closer, it had the tiniest little white flowers on it. I just stood there for a second and laughed. “Okay, Mom. Thanks.”
Was it a coincidence? Sure. Of course it could have been. It was a tiny weed with tiny white flowers growing in the country. There is a perfectly logical explanation for how it got there. But you know what? I’m going with it. I’m choosing to believe that, for whatever reason, that little white flower was exactly the sign I had asked for. Maybe it was my Mom. Maybe it was simply a beautiful little coincidence that happened at precisely the right moment. Maybe the distinction doesn’t even matter. And I think that’s what I ultimately took away from this book. You don’t necessarily have to prove that something is a sign in order to appreciate what it means to you. Sometimes the important part isn’t whether something can be scientifically explained – rather, it’s the feeling it gives you.
Maybe signs aren’t always dramatic. Maybe they aren’t flashes of light or unmistakable messages. Maybe they’re tiny white flowers growing beside a country driveway, a song that comes on at exactly the right moment, or something that suddenly reminds you of someone you miss.
Coincidence? Perhaps. But sometimes, I think, it’s perfectly okay to smile, say “Thanks, Mom,” and keep walking.
This is an interesting and thought-provoking book for anyone willing to keep an open mind and wonder whether some of life’s coincidences might be something more.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Share in a comment below.
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