Subtle signs

16 years ago

Some of the signs we've reported on this forum have been pretty dramatic and unmistakable. But there are others that are more subtle, the ones I always say we must be "open to." Some might argue that these events are "open to" interpretation, and we are stretching the truth to interpret them as signs. Still, some things just feel right, and I think that kind of inner certainty counts for a lot.

Here's one of my most subtle signs. It feels right to me.

I've been wanting to move my bedroom computer into my daughter Gillian's room and set up the big scanner I bought ages ago without a place to put it. (I bought it to work on my father's photographs, slides, and negatives, and it's still in the box.)

My son suggested the other day that we take Jill's bed out of her room. I didn't want to do that, even though he pointed out that evidence of mice have been found on it (bird seed shells) and we don't need it as a guest bed because we have a guest room. He also made the good point that the bed takes up room that we could use for computer work. But I really hated the thought of removing her bed, and I felt a little overwhelmed at the idea of finding a suitable desk plus something to hold the scanner.

So I happened to stop in at my favorite architectural salvage place on Sunday (mostly to scrounge quarters because the change machine at the laundromat was broken) when I saw the perfect workspace: 93" of desk! It consists of a five-foot desk with pull-out keyboard tray (which I've always wanted) and nice drawers, including file drawers, on rollers, plus a 33" end piece with shelves underneath to hold the CPU and whatever. (And my scanner on top!)

I asked for their best price, and the guy took 25% off the already-reasonable price. I mulled it over at home for about 8 seconds and then committed to buy it. I went back and paid for it yesterday. Now all I have to do is get it home. That's the hard part.

I can't help thinking that Jill put me and the desk together. I'm excited about it, and feel much better about moving her bed. I hope I still feel that way when the time comes to move it.

Susan

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Comments (5)

kayjones
16 years ago
That's great! Yes, I believe in signs - I could cite many instances of receiving direction help from my late husband.
hamc36
16 years ago
My mother-in-law loved watching skaters. She had bad knees and was in a wheelchair the last few years of her life. I was standing outside one day. It was cold and windy. The wind was blowing snowflakes into little whorls. They would go up higher and higher spinning faster and faster, then new ones would start at the bottom. I wish I could describe how truly beautiful it was. I couldn't help but think that that was Florence skating and twirling in the wind for me.
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I like the no diaper idea, but can't imagine it working on an infant. If I was a new stay at home mom I think I'd give it a try. My kids were potty trained quite young. I started on them around 1 year when the bottle went. I put them in big kids undies and on the real toilet seat sitting backward so they could hold on & see themselves eliminating. I did this anytime they ate or drank anything and every 45-60 minutes or if I noticed they stopped playing for a moment or or were "holding" their privates. We made a big deal about not going in the big kids undies. I can't imagine holding them over a sink to go, unless all toilets were in use, then maybe I would. I never encouraged them to go potty outside. I was babysittng my sons kids for 2 weeks and had my then 14 month old grandson going potty in the toilet during the day and waking up dry a couple nights. His parents came home, but didn't keep reminding him or encouraging him and put him back in diapers. Now he is 27 months and still in diapers. A couple weeks ago I was babysitting again for 4 days and had him going in the toilet and he was excited about it. I haven't asked if they've kept it up....don't think I'll like the answer. I have 2 fur babies that are 18 months & 20 months & they're still having accidents. Other dogs I've had thru out my life were potty trained in a few weeks. These 2 know better, but still go in the house sometimes in the same 3 places. Frustrates me to no end!
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socks
16 years ago
You are wise to be open to the signs around you.

I guess you have to move the bed to get the desk in? I can understand that you are very tenderhearted about that. I wouldn't want to see you do anything you aren't really ready for; but I guess the sign is guiding you along, and that's fine. Your son may be right too, so maybe that's two signs! Take care.
pamela007
16 years ago
My dad died Oct 2007. My mom is grieving terribly as they were married for 59 years. She keeps telling all of us that the light on his bed goes on occasionally and that she thinks its my dad trying to tell her something. My two sibs and I feel she is so grief stricken that she is imagining it. I miss my dad terribly as we were very close and yesterday while visiting with my mom I felt a very strange feeling or presence of my dad, but I attributed it to just missing him and wishing to see him or hear him laughing or asking me to have a cup of tea with him, anything. So today when my mom was out and I was feeling blue , I let myself in the house and since I was alone I decided to have a long talk with my dad. I was looking at all the old pictures, smelling his clothes , wearing his hat etc. And through the stupid tears I said, "OK, dad if you know how much I'm missing you and how sad mom is , please let me know you are alright, I'm tired of all of this sadness" I walked to the kitchen and back to the room to get my coat to leave and the bedroom light was on. My mother had just told me yesterday that the it had not gone on by itself in over 2 weeks. I was so shocked I almost left the house. I cried hysterically because I could not believe it and felt like my dad heard me, but then a calm came over me and I know he was telling me to stop grieving that he was still around. I'll never forget it.
alisande
Original Author
16 years ago
That's wonderful, Pamela. I'm so glad you received this gift from your dad, and that you shared it with us.

The light may stop going on unexpectedly, but he'll still be with you.

Subtle signs

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kayjones

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Subtle signs

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