A Beautiful Sign

We just got back from my Grandma’s celebration of life. She was 95 when she made her transition, so her life was full and rich. She died her hair pink, wore sparkly shoes and glittery clothes and was the life of the party. One of her favourite expressions was: Ooh la la! Ca c’est bon! C’est la vie! It means: This is good! This is life! (And it sounds much better in French, especially in the way she said it, being not french at all.)

On the day of her celebration, we had a beautiful experience. After the service, our family gathered in my aunt and uncle’s Airbnb, which was a stunning old house in Saskatoon with a gigantic porch and a zipline in the backyard. (You can just make out Oakley flying through the air in the picture below. Note also the way to get to the backyard from the porch was a slide!)

My son, Oakley, wanted to play and sing a few songs in honour of his great-grandma. We gathered around him in a circle of lawn chairs and he sang so sweetly. During his last song, a bird sort of swooped by the circle and landed in one of the big trees behind us. It let out two very unique notes. I had never heard that kind of bird before and have no idea what kind it was.

I felt like it was Grandma coming to enjoy the celebration. When Oakley finished the song, my sister and aunt said the same thing: It’s Grandma! All three of us knew she had come to visit.

After the musical entertainment, my aunt and uncle told us we would be playing a game of sorts. Everyone got to pick a number and then we received the corresponding piece of precious jewelry that they had sorted from my Grandma’s large collection. My uncle said that, like a bird, Grandma couldn’t pass by a shiny object without admiring it (and then usually buying it).

All the grandchildren and great-grandchildren then received either a piece with diamonds, sapphire, ruby or gold. It became clear why the bird stayed for that part; Grandma wanted to make sure everyone got the perfect piece. (Plus, she likely wanted to see the sparkles, both in the jewels and on our faces.)

It couldn’t have been more special.

I’m a big believer in signs; both asking for them and receiving them as welcome surprises. I love signs because they make me feel connected to the unseen. I feel certain that my grandma is nearby and has become part of my spirit team, who I call upon for support every day.

It’s a beautiful and powerful type of self-care to know that we’re not alone and that we are loved in ways beyond what we can even imagine. 

I hope that you tune into the extra support available to you this week. 

With great love and enveloping courage,

Christina

>Creator of Courageous Self-Care

>Proud mom of an incredibly musical son

>Loving my new gold heart-shaped locket 

PS - Here's my beautiful Grandma with her beloved Grandpa Frank (pre-pink hair). I'm so happy they're together again.