Secret Signs: Messages from Passed Loved Ones

secret signs

A Story of Secret Signs

This is one of those stories that begins with an ending. It is a story of secret signs.

Rita was nearing the end of her tumultuous battle with cancer. Sara was a good friend; they’d met through work. When Rita was transferred from her home to a facility that could provide attentive medical care for her, Sara made every effort to visit on a regular basis. She had plans to go visit on a Wednesday and had told me that the last time she’d seen Rita, she just knew Rita didn’t have very much longer. If you have ever lost someone to this merciless disease, you know how difficult it is, how helpless you can feel. It is never a good feeling to sense you are running out of time to spend with someone you care about, to anticipate loss. Grieving sets in. There is nothing to do sometimes but to try to survive and to endure it.

She’d been held back at work and so Sara was unable to make it to visiting hours on that Wednesday. Rita had told her family she was ready to die. Over the next three days the family said Rita wasn’t up for visitors. I’d suggested for their visit that week that they might be able to talk and plan a secret sign, just between the two of them, so that after Rita passed, she could let Sara know she had crossed over safely, or for any time in the future that Rita wanted to let her know she was around watching over her. By the end of the weekend it was too late to have this conversation.

Tuesday

In an email on Tuesday morning after Rita’s passing I wrote to Sara, “I hope she comes around and lets you know she’s made it there okay soon.” Whether we plan for it or not, they always do try to let us know in some way that they are alright.

Tuesday afternoon I received a reply email: “Today I canoed with Tom and he pointed out a bluebird sitting on a tall piece of grass/plant by our cars. Maybe that is it. Bluebirds are pretty rare to see I think.”

Bluebird. In Minnesota. On a chilly day in April. A rarity times three.

Bluebird Signs

This gets even better. I’m an absolute believer in totem animals and the messages they carry for us. We can receive these every day if we are open to them. There are a lot of animals though and they all have multiple “wisdoms” to share with us, so when I got the email I felt I had to look up bluebirds. There’s the traditional “bluebird of happiness” saying… which is true – they do represent that. But when I read through the “bluebird wisdoms”, one line just flew off the page at me. Bluebirds represent “Movement to a new level of being.”

How beautiful of a message is that? I’m still in awe.

For me it went even one step beyond. The universe is brilliant at giving us signs and validations. For at the exact moment the email came through, I was just letting a client out the door. We’d had a lovely visit of our own with her father who had passed away. One of his last messages was “Blue”-something. (He kept saying BLUE very loudly and then would whisper the ending of the word.)

“Bluebird.”

A new level of being.
There this story ends.
With a beginning.


Signs from our Passed Loves Ones

One of the most amazing things about my job is getting to relay details or validate signs that passed loved ones are sending to their families here to let them know they are okay, to let them know they made it to the other side, to let them know they are still with them. The lengths our loved ones will go to, the creativity they put into it, the unconditional love they are able to express, and the effort by which they reinforce these messages…it has no limit. It is profoundly magical.

In my grief class and when I speak with others who are anticipating a death I try to encourage people that if they have a chance, and if they are able to have a conversation on the topic, that it can be reassuring, positive, and even hopeful for both people involved to plan “secret signs”. What this really just entails is to make an agreement that when the person passes they will send you a “secret sign” at some point after they have passed to let you know they are okay. They do send us signs whether we arrange for this or not, but more often than not people write off the signs they receive to wishful thinking, or perhaps they miss the signs altogether in their grief state.

Making Your Own Signs

If you want to try this for yourself with someone that you love (and you can do this at any time during a person’s life – just be sure to record it somewhere) first, try to think of a sign somewhat more common but maybe unique – something you wouldn’t just happen to see everyday. Second, agree on a sign that’s symbolic for you both (from a favorite time spent together or regarding something you both have in common). Your third sign can be something categorically uncommon, unexpected, challenging to manifest, and positively obscure. Animals, books, poetry, places, names, historical elements, meaningful objects, music, lyrics, graphical symbols, works of art, messages in foreign languages…the ideas you can tap into for your secret signs are absolutely endless.

The story above wasn’t really my story to tell, but it is one of absolute grace, promise, and undying friendship, so I asked permission if I could share it with you all, because we all could use a little more of those aspects in our lives. 24jun2011


You May Also Enjoy…

Reading about Dragonfly Symbolism

CONSULTATIONS: Heather Oelschlager professional psychic medium

Through the Blue Door: A Medium’s Guide to Ultra-Sensory Meditation and Journaling. Included are meditations to help receive messages and signs of your own, as well as to connect with spirit guides and passed loved ones.

Also visit: HeatherOelschlager.com

  1. Holly

    I believe signs are all around us from the universe. Thanks so much for this, found it really interesting, it has empowered me!

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