Messages on the Rocks
Longtime readers of my weekly stories know that I am always on the lookout for messages and signs from the Universe. Well, for some reason, they have been appearing in the same spot over the last few weeks…on the rocks in Sarasota Bay where I finish my morning walk.
While hanging over my feet stretching my lower back one day, I spotted two plastic bottles floating in the water among the rocks below the sea wall. One was a water bottle. The other was an empty Black Velvet whiskey bottle.
Of all the possible beverages that could have been discarded there, what are the chances it would be my mother’s drink of choice? I saw a lot of those bottles in our house during the first painful years of her alcoholism. You might say it was just a coincidence, but I saw it as a sign from my mom letting me know she is still with me.
That would be her sense of humor, using a Black Velvet whiskey bottle to get my attention and make me laugh. My mother could find levity in life’s most challenging situations. It’s a helpful tool that I gratefully inherited from her. She knew I was having a tough time and wanted me to lighten up. It worked! Although I still get a little nauseous remembering the smell of that whiskey, it was both hilarious and comforting to find that bottle. Thanks, Mom.
But she wasn’t done playing with me yet! A few weeks later, I was in that same spot doing one of Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine practices called “Connecting Heaven and Earth” when one of my AirPods fell out of my ear and disappeared into those rocks! I usually pop them back in their case before any moves over the water, but that day I left them in. Oops!
I put the other AirPod back in the case before stretching my arm over the sea wall to search for its partner. Reluctantly, I put my fingers in crevices between rocks feeling for the round plastic. Sadly, it was nowhere to be found. I had an appointment within the hour, so after a few minutes, I had to surrender the search.
This wasn’t a huge deal because these AirPods were old. Not only was the sound quality deteriorating, but they were also not pairing with some of my devices and losing their charge quickly. I had been thinking about getting new ones for a while. The Apple Gift card I received for recycling my old laptop would probably cover the cost of a new pair, so why was I waiting?
Later that day, after a little online research, I visited the Apple Store and purchased a new pair of 3rd Generation AirPods. The gift card almost covered the cost, but I soon discovered they were worth the extra $40. The sound quality was significantly better than the old ones!
Here’s where it gets comical. The very next day, in that same spot, while stretching my lower back, I saw the missing AirPod lodged under a rock! I couldn’t believe my eyes! How in the world did it survive 24 hours in Sarasota Bay and wind up in that same spot? I could almost hear my mother laughing!
I don’t consider myself a germaphobe, but I wasn’t going to put that thing back in my ear. I’m not sure how clean the water is or what adventures that AirPod had soaking in the bay all night.
However, I was happy to retrieve that adventurous AirPod so I could recycle it at the Apple Store. I also saw it as another funny but clear message from my mother. “Don’t wait. You always have the resources you need.”
But that wasn’t the last message. This week, in that same exact spot, I found a colorful cup with a huge “44 oz” printed on the side. Some of you may know that “44” is considered an “Angel Number.” My dear friend and spiritual author, Radleigh Valentine, teaches that when you see the number 44 it means the angels are with you. “They send you the number 4 to reassure you that they've heard your prayers and are helping you.”
I’m so grateful for these comforting and sometimes comical messages. They have helped me stay positive and hopeful during some challenging circumstances over the summer months. I share them here to offer the same comfort and reassurance to you no matter what you are going through and growing through.
The Black Velvet whiskey bottle: Your ancestors are cheering you on to have a happy, healthy, prosperous life! The elusive AirPod: You have the resources you need so don’t wait. The 44 oz cup: Your angels are present and are helping you right now.
And for my fellow environmentally conscious readers, rest assured. I didn’t leave those “messages” in Sarasota Bay. I put the plastic bottles and the cup in a nearby recycle bin. And the adventurous AirPod will go to the Apple Store with its partner to be recycled.
Thanks to my work with Family Constellations, I now understand much better the pain my mother was carrying for her family and why she turned to alcohol to numb it. I also see how I unconsciously took on some of that pain and how it kept me stuck in unhealthy patterns. I’m grateful to connect with her now through her resilience and her sense of humor.
If this resonates with you and you’d like to explore your family dynamics while releasing unhealthy patterns, please visit the Family Constellations page on my website. There you will find more information on this revolutionary healing modality and how you can experience it for yourself in a group or private session. I look forward to working with you!
…you have given everything you see all the meaning that it has for you.
A Course in Miracles ~ W-7.1:4