“The universe is always speaking to us. … Sending us little messages, causing coincidences and serendipities, reminding us to stop, to look around, to believe in something else, something more.” ~Nancy Thayer

Dear Universe,

Lots of us ask for signs—some little thing to show us we are making the right decision, on the right track or just being guided along our journey. But often we are not open to how they might arrive and therefore we miss them entirely!

About a month ago, I participated at an event for my jewelry line. As I was setting up the table with my mom, a woman approached, complimenting the jewelry. At the same time they both recognized each other. When I asked how they knew each other, the woman turned to me and said, “I was a patient of your father’s. I loved him so much. I still think of him whenever I drive past his old office.”

My father (who was a doctor) passed away 25 years ago (which feels impossible to believe.) As you might imagine, I don’t meet people very often who make the connection for me. It’s always a nice and rare surprise when it happens. I couldn’t even believe that her and my mom were able to remember one another.

Later in the afternoon, as we were about to pack up and leave, a woman and her daughter came over to the table. The woman detected my mom’s accent and asked where she was from. When I told her Egypt, she smiled and said, “My daughter is half-Italian and half-Lebanese! I have to tell you my favorite Arabic name is ‘Karima.’”

My mom and I immediately looked at each other in disbelief. Karima was my grandmother’s name, my mom’s mother. As you can guess, it’s not a name I ever hear. I’ve never met a Karima and to hear her name spoken out loud took my breath away.

These two moments could have been easily forgotten or shrugged off, but here’s the thing. The night before I had said a prayer to both my father and grandmother. So to have these two things happen didn’t feel like some weird coincidence. Instead, these moments felt like divine signs, a wink-wink, an acknowledgment that yes, my prayers were heard, and yes, they were with me.

I think signs like this come more often than we realize. We get caught up in life and miss the song lyrics, the weird bumper sticker, a stranger’s words, a passage from a book… you get the idea.

In fact, it wasn’t until I was driving home that day, and had some quiet time for my thoughts, that it hit me that these two incidents were in fact signs for me.

But the thing with signs is this. The more you acknowledge them, the more you’ll continue to see them. It becomes a beautiful back and forth with the cosmos. Ask, notice, give heartfelt thanks, ask again, notice again, fill with gratitude, and so on.

I know some people think asking for signs is silly or hokey or woo-woo. That’s fine. I don’t try to convince anyone of anything they don’t believe in.

But if you are open to believing, and open to trying, you might just find there’s magic all around.

I like living with the possibility of magic. I like believing that at any moment, anything is possible. I like my little back and forth with you, Universe.

I wouldn’t want it any other way.

With Gratitude,