Little things mean a lot

Little things.

We say that a lot in life boils down to little things. Little things break couples up. Little things mean the most. Little things can be SO irritating. A little can go a long way.

So, why, when we’re looking for some kind of sign from a loved one from “the other side,” whatever that may be, do we expect something grandiose, something huge and out of a Hollywood blockbuster special-effects movie?

I’ve read a lot of accounts of people who believe they’ve had a sign from someone after a death, everything from finding a feather, to hearing a song, smelling a perfume or particular scent and noting the behavior of a bird. One of the best stories is in the book “Haunted Baseball” and it’s a chapter titled “Jim Thome and the Bird” - no not THAT kind of bird, the kind with wings. It’s a very touching story, but I’m not going to recount it here. You can read it yourself.

The very best story I’ve heard was related to me by a mom who lost her daughter to cancer. I don’t remember all the details of the story, but it involved the mom seeing a rainbow and knowing it had been sent as a sign from her daughter. Rainbows were a special thing for them.

Think about it. If you saw some kind of Hollywood special effects type of display, wouldn’t you be sure it was a fake?

But what about a particular thing - in nature, in your home, somewhere - that has a special meaning only to you and someone else (or maybe a couple of someone elses)?

Whenever people sit down with a medium to “read” them, the really good ones don’t fish around. There’s no trial-and-error, no guessing, no picking up on signals. I had never seen anything so amazing as this medium - a woman - who read a woman in the audience - most definitely not a plant - and the conversation was VERY short, maybe a few sentences, and she answered the question very specifically. It knocked my socks off. If you think you’ve seen this kind of thing on TV and know what I’m talking about - you haven’t. This was absolutely mind-blowing. This woman in the audience wasn’t even asking for herself, but for a friend. Boom, question answered, done. That quick.

Again, we’re talking about a really good medium here. It always seems when a connection is made, the message is something small, something seemingly insignificant, almost something everyday. But if you listen closely, it’s almost always something that holds meaning only for those two people communicating or that particular family. Something pretty darn specific. “This spirit is laughing about the time you went to the store and were trying on hats and you wore this awful purple creation.” “She’s teasing you about the ribbon you won at the county fair.” Things like that.

I believe my father-in-law, who died about a year before my husband and I got married, has visited us a few times. Why? He smoked, and while that alone wouldn’t convince anyone, I would smell fresh cigarette smoke in our house in a specific spot when something was going on with my husband. Usually something good. If you’ve ever lived with a smoker, you know the difference between fresh cigarette smoke and stale, recycled cigarette smoke. This was fresh and very heavy. Then, poof! It was gone. All trace of the smell. Usually as soon as I mentioned his name. At one time, my husband asked me if I thought someone would communicate with something that, well, ethereal - although that’s not the word he used - maybe it was “intangible.”

Why not? It certainly got the point across with me. Message received. Although I think he’s abandoned us for his new great-grandson. Can’t blame him. The little guy is a cutie.

But why isn’t that kind of message good enough? Is it because we expect something really profound?

What if the message is something like “It’s so nice here.” “I’m fine.” “It’s peaceful.” It may be true, but aren’t you inclined to dismiss that stuff? That could be from anyone … it’s so … ordinary … predictable. But knowing about that purple hat … well, that might be some real connection.

Like seeing a rainbow.

P.S. Yes, still working on the cat audio. I haven’t forgotten, because I’ll have more audio to come, as well. And thanks for reading. Invite your friends.