“See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?” ~ M. Night Shyamalan

Dear Universe,

As you are well aware, I am a believer of signs.

I ask for them, look for them, notice them and thank you for them on a daily basis.  I love recognizing the messages you are sending my way whether they are answering a question, reassuring me or just sending me something I need to hear.

And I have found that one of my favorite things to do is point out signs for other people when I think they might be missing it.

This usually happens by accident.  A friend will be telling a story and as I am listening, I will hear something that to her appears to simply be an insignificant detail, but that I see as a sign.  Usually I point it out and after some thinking, we sort out what it could mean.

A couple of nights ago I was out with my girlfriend and she said, “You have to see this picture!”  She pulled out her phone and showed me a photo of her car.  Perched on top as if it was his throne, sat her neighbor’s orange-striped cat.

“He sits there every day.  He’s scratching it up!”

“Every day?  No.  This has to mean something.  It’s too weird.  It’s a sign!”

So naturally, I did some googling and what I found immediately resonated.

Cats by nature are seen as independent animals, ones that put themselves first.

My friend—who is one of the most caring and generous people I know—just recently moved out on her own.  It’s been an adjustment for her to focus on herself and what she needs instead of always putting everyone else first.

On one site I read, “Often, when a cat makes an uncommon appearance in our lives it is a message for us to shake up our habitual routines and make some fresh changes in our lives…”

She’s been doing a lot of that too.  I felt the cat served as a reminder to stay on track and an acknowledgement for what she’s accomplished already.

As I shared these discoveries with her, the cat sitting on her car day-by-day—where she couldn’t miss him—became less strange and more fitting.

I think when things reoccur in our lives it is up to us to decide whether they mean something more significant.  Yes, we can ignore it—shrug it off as an odd happening—or we can take the time to think about whether it’s a message for us.

So what kind of person are you?  Are you the kind that believes in signs and symbols, messages and miracles?  Or do you toss it up to coincidences and luck?

The way I see it is some soul-searching can’t hurt.  Maybe nothing will come of it, but maybe, just maybe you’ll get a message that you need to hear.

And that is a gift I will always be grateful for.

With Gratitude,

A