The Signs of Life We Missed

Good lord, it feels good to be blogging again.

Between graduating college, starting a new full-time position and managing to have a social life, I hope I never have a writing absence that lasts as long again as this one did!

It's pretty obvious, that life moves extremely fast. That's why I chose to write on this topic. The first time I was really able to realize that was when my Grandpa B unexpectedly passed away. One day, we were all at this house for a BBQ and the next time we'd be there he wouldn't be. I was young at the time and it was without a doubt a lot to take in. I'll never see this person again? It's not fair, I didn't even get to say goodbye....

A similiar feeling and unfair situation would happen to me years later when I was injured. The best way I can describe a spinal cord injury to someone is like buying a computer with all the programs and apps you want on it then completely wiping the hard drive and restoring it to it's original settings. My old life was washed away from me in seconds. Once again, leaving me without getting to say a proper farewell to all the things I loved.

A famous scripture once said, "the signs in life are all around us, a smart individual recognizes those signs and learns from them." After I was injured, it sure was hard to see those signs. My once clear world became extremely foggy, everything I had known about life was different. I could barely recognize myself when I looked in the mirror let alone anything else around me.

Then my cat suddenly passed away.

I was heartbroken. But as life rapidly moves forward, so do we. I learned to adapt and things were continually progressing around me. I'd come home from therapy and where my cat would greet me everyday was a beautiful yellow and black butterfly. The butterfly would sit in the exact same spot as my cat would. At first, I thought it was for sure a coincidence. But week by week, month by month that butterfly was there everyday at 3:30pm when I got home. For the first time, I felt like my cat had never left me and my heart started to mend.

Finding butterflies on your path is one of the more commonly known signs of the angels. Butterflies of any color are a beautiful reminder that your angels are near, loving and supporting you from behind the scenes. When you find them in a place which is somewhat normal is an especially powerful angelic sign. When you find them they’re almost always a sign from your angel.

Then I was just seeing the butterfly around my house. I have a spot on the beach, I like to go to when I'm not having a great day. I was sitting looking at the waves when all the sudden not one but two butterflies nearly land on me. One was little and one was big. I like to think it was my Grandpa and my kitty watching over me and reminding me that they're always here when I want to throw the towel in. I love this drawing because it just symbolizes when you are low - you'll always have an angel with their wings not just wrapped around you but sewed within you. Even when it doesn't feel like it, they are always there.

Months fly by, seasons quickly change and as do we. That new job you started starts to take priority over things in your life. Or maybe you're in a bad relationship that leaves you unhappy? There is always going to be something that ties us up leaving us unable to be exposed to the magical things happening around us every second, and every day. But there doesn't have to be...

My advice, no matter what you're going through, big or small, short-term or long - don't forget there are beautiful things happening all around you. All you have to do is take a second to smell the roses and let them all in.

Who knows, your butterfly might just be right around the corner.