Birthday Feather

My Birthday feather at the beach!

All I want for Christmas is Vicks

http://hubpages.com/hub/All-I-want-for-Christmas-is-Vicks

This beautiful story has nothing to do with feathers and everything to do with this blog!  It goes to show you how important a mother's love is and how much it means.  It also shows the impact of "mom" on holiday memories. 

This Hub, All I Want For Christmas Is Vicks, was written by my Aunt-In-Law, Candy.  She's my aunt's husband's sister.  We share zero DNA!  However, she is, as well as her husband and children, very much a part of our family.

When you read it, make sure to read the whole thing because the end of the story at Starbucks is the meat and potatoes of it.  This is where the universal mother pop's in to pay Candy a quick visit and let Candy know her mom is still here with her as all mothers are who have gone on ahead.  Not only are they paving the way for us there but they are constantly finding ways and means of mothering from beyond...  if you allow yourself to be sensitive to it.

Have a good day at work!

FWD: Thanksgiving in Fresno!

Happy Thanksgiving!

So nights are longer this time of year. Colors change and seasons transition into late Autumn and early Winter. George Winston's piece Thanksgiving always plays to remind me of Thanksgivings past and a look forward to Thanksgivings in the future.

When I think of Thanksgiving and I hear this music; when I see the leaves turn orange and yellow and blow across the street; when I feel the temperature begin to drop and as we welcome in the Holiday season I am reminded of Thanksgivings past with Mom.  Mom loved Autumn.  The Holiday Season between Thanksgiving and Christmas were always some of the warmest of times regardless of  how cold it would get outside.

Found 11/24/10 at 9am

Now as the seasons change and the days continue to shorten as we move towards winter and Christmas I look back to Thanksgivings of old.  Most recently, I think of the more recent Thanksgivings in with my family.  Gathered around a table of plenty.  Having built my family tree and tracing my Bradley line all the back into the 1600's, Thanksgiving for me is filled with ghosts.  Not in a scary sense, but a peaceful sense.  I feel my family.  I feel my blood.  I eat to honor them and the America they built with their blood, my blood.

Last night at work I was speaking with a colleague who has lost a very dear love one.  He was sharing with me how difficult Thanksgiving is and in fact how difficult most family focused holidays are.  We both tried to comfort each other with the reality that loved ones lost will be with us this Thanksgiving and every Thanksgiving from here on out but the harsh reality of the absence of their physical presence had set in a little too deep.

This year, I will honor my wife and her family.  They too are part of the American dream.  Immigrants that came here and fell in love with all this great nation has to offer.  They too have suffered and prospered to succeed and inherit their piece of  the American dream.  Sitting at the Turkey Table this year will be a tiny family from Costa Rica and their Irish American son-in-law husband.  Joining us will be a couple from across the hall, a Syrian and his wife.  She's from Mexico.  The American dream is alive and well in my In-Laws condominium complex.  My Father-in-Law is good friends with this man from Syria.  Each man significantly more comfortable in their native tongue and so they use English as a bridge to communicate and what is evident here is that no language is required to witness the bond that exists between two men who have left their homelands in search of greater prosperity and opportunity.

What must Thanksgiving be like for them?  This seemingly American holiday with traditional deep roots from England and Europe.  This day where we mark a time where men and women from different places, races, and creeds who share one land meet innocently to give thanks to God for the abundance in their lives at this time of Harvest.

This to me is what Thanksgiving is all about.  Family.  One big American family.  Steeped in rich history and tradition.  The main ingredient that holds this all together is love.  Love for our land, love for our family and most importantly, love for our God which made us in His image and made all of this wonderful experience of life possible.

And while there will be loved ones deeply missed on this Holiday of feasting and abundance I will feel their presence with me as I share a fine meal with some very special people who happen to be my family as well...

Happy Thanksgiving and Pura Vida!

Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle!

So Facebook can be many things for many different people.  One thing it has become for me is a nice way to spread the word.  That being said, for many, myself included, you don't always find things on "your time."  Feathers normally don't appear when you're looking for them.  They arrive right on time when you really need to find them or to remind you of your purpose. 

Which leads me to an interesting exchange on Facebook that happened yesterday.  This exchange was between myself and an old friend from High School.  It needs no real introduction so I'll just let her rip!

Jen Tank Bryan Glider Must have been "my time" to understand feathers! I ran across your Feather Blog again. I don't really know why, it just sort of happened. I had read a few postings, but this time, I jsut kept reading and reading. I love it. I love what your doing, but more importantly, I love that you are connected. So many peopl...e are not. And it seems they miss so much. I'm glad for you. The coffee with Mom was kinda awesome, I have to say. It all is fascinating!! THe next time I find a feather, I will keep it as my gratitude feather. Thank you for sharing that with me!

David R Bradley Thank you for getting it.  Let me know when you find your gratitude feather or email it to featherblog98@gmail.com and I'll put it on the blog.

Jen Tank Bryan Glider   ‎:)  Have you seen or read John Edward? He was a real catalyst for me. He opened my mind to think beyond the material now. I then read Celestine Prophecy and Seat of the Soul which lead to Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss. All the... books and seeing John Edward live, makes it impossible for me not to get it. I've always felt a connection beyond the material now. These just confirmed I'm not CRAZY! LOL! You are so blessed to understand your visits/communications. Not to mention blessed to have them. But you know that already.  I couldn't imagine not sharing that with you. I will definitely take a picture. It makes me want to run outside RIGHT NOW and see if there is one waiting for me.

Jen Tank Bryan Glider Guess what I FOUND???? I know, it's unbelievable. Believe it, I'm getting the pics now!!! And TWO of them!!! I didn't find any when I went outside, so I resigned to the fact that it wont happen on my time. So, I walked to check the mail. There was one right by the mail box. Then on the way back, there was another one, that I seemingly passed by. AWESOME!!!!

David R Bradley Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. It's amazing what can happen when you put something out into the universe yet detach from the outcome. I guess I have a blog post to work on now...   Oh, and congratulations on your Gratitude feather(s)!

Jen Tank Bryan Glider A monkey's uncle! HAHAHA!!! Thank you!!! I feel a deeper connection to the universe now than I did even 30 minutes ago. AMAZING. I love that feeling. I feel like my energy and the energy you are sending out there into the universe, just emeshed to actually ADD to the universe's energy. I know this happens everytime energy is felt or given, but when it's a feeling that happens immediately...that's God. :)


Jen Tank Bryan Glider Oh yeah, I needed this today. Not sure if you saw my earlier post about my angel, but this, today...this matters. A lot.

So there you have it.  Feathers from the Universe.  I think I will re-post the Gratitude Feather blog on Facebook for Thanksgiving...

Sold a car...

...and here was this guy on top of the trade in.  An 06 Mustang GT with a 4.6L V8 engine and a short shifter.  Que the Tim Allen grunting!!!

Walked into work...

On the Welcome mat.  Literally.

What was on my mind...

Get the book on CD do the Dyer thing...  make that a book too...  then as I got out of the car, right under the door was this one.  So it looks like these two things need to happen and you heard it here first people!

Feather in the Sandbox

Found this at the park under the push up bars in the exercise sandbox.

It's like getting spotted by mom.  Many times during workouts past and present I have uttered the phrase, "I'll push and you pull" to get in that last repetition.

Strangely or not so strangely, I tend to harness a little extra strength when I utter that phrase. 

Left by the cleaing crew...

Or was it?

While wondering about this, http://puravidakettlebells.blogspot.com/2010/11/40-days.html

I found that feather...

So I guess we're all good there.

Halloween and Mom

Halloween and Mom...

It was a large lamp, a light, an orange salad bowl, 1 white sheet, 2 black eyes make from construction paper and 2 black hands.

At Christmas time, the tree was center window, lights ablaze.

For Halloween it was the ghost made from the ingredients above.

One year the bowl melted a bit... 

Halloween was always fun.  Whatever the Holiday, mom decorated.  Hallmark cutouts of ghosts, witches and Autumn themed decorations.  Pine cones, orange and yellow maple leaves, Mom loved Autumn.  She was born in October.  It was her time.  The season where things die and get ready for the winter was also the season of her life beginning.  Every set of decorations through childhood contained some level of magic, rising in intensity to the most magical time in a child's life.  Christmas. 

This year for Halloween, Neff and I carved a pumpkin and decorated her uncle's sculpture.  We have a few knickknacks around the apartment too.  No ghosts on lamp posts, but a few signs of the season.  I was reminded of the Halloweens of childhood.  Trick-or-Treating with my buddy Stephan.  One year I was Luke Skywalker, another year a Cowboy, as I got a little older (and slightly more Gothic) I went as the Grim Reaper.  Halloween was different in the 70's and 80's.  Sure there's always the concern of razors in the apples and poison candy but for whatever reason Halloween in the small town of Yucaipa in 1981 is a whole different Holiday compared to Halloween 2010 Encino, CA.

Mom was always there throughout childhood and it seems as I spend this year documenting feather sightings and reliving Holiday memories in my mind, I struggle sometimes recalling things.  I want to remember more.  Maybe by remembering more it'll be like having her back for just a little while.

Mom was always there during childhood.  Well, no duh!?!?  Sounds like such an obvious statement.  But she's missing from my adulthood (sort of...  ok, physically) and that means that the time she was here (childhood, in this case) becomes all the more precious and valuable. 

You can't TiVo Mom.  Either way, it became clear that Mom liked the Jack-O-Lantern.  On Monday morning this little guy was hanging out just under the table from where the Jack-O-Lantern sat.  I snapped this pick as I played a Trick in lieu of a Treat on our resident apartment manager.  The trick will be for a different blog altogether but mark my words, Mom and Doris together smiled down at this little bit of delinquency on my part..

WHERE DO FEATHERS COME FROM?

Where do feathers come from?
And tell me this.
How does the feather know
To show up
At just the right time?

I was in Rite Aide,
Shopping for toilet paper,
Not exactly a convenient place
For tears.

But it was one of those moments.
Can’t say sad exactly, but
Definitely emotional.

Missing someone.
Wishing we could be
Together.

And the phone rings.
O my God,
It’s you.
Just calling to say
I love you.

Wow!

As we end our call,
I’m walking out of Rite Aide
Heading for my car.

You probably already figured out
The rest of the story.

There on the asphalt
Is this gorgeous feather.

Where DO feathers come from?
And how does a feather know
This is the moment?

Forgot to mention that the Bank also called today for Roberta!!

Written by Vernon Bradley 

FWD:Sure as S*%# there's the one I needed!

"Sure as s*%# there's the one I needed!"
                       Jacob Byers
             

Good Morning Feather In Sepia

Doris' Rose

These plants and little bunny used to don Doris' air conditioning unit.  After she left for the hospital, my wife continued to care for these little plants.  We watched, shortly after she passed this tiny little rose blossom and bloom into a lovely little flower.  And from where I'm sitting, this little rose makes a nice testament to the concept of life after death.  This might be Doris' sign to us that she's still with us in spirit and will be sending us more little blessings like this...  Time will only tell.

And then there was deal number two...

And then there was deal number two...

Sold a car. Found a feather.

Sold a car. Found a feather.  Amazing how that works.  And amazing how it winds up right in front of the car I'm selling.  Come back from the test drive, hop out of the car and there it is looking up at me.  That's when you know you got a deal here...

Among Angels by Jane Seymour

So, I get a message on Facebook from a school chum.  I went to 8 years of Catholic School with her.  She stumbled, like most do, into this blog and shared some of her own loss and experience with grief and then went on to tell me about this book here.

Among Angels by Jane Seymour is a book about first and formost love.  At least from what I can tell!  I haven't read it yet!  But trust me, I will.  And here's why:



Here's an exerpt from the book which I found at ABC News:

"Mother's Messages: Just after my mother Mieke passed away, my sisters noticed that at their feet--where they always sat and watched her--was a white feather. They looked around the room and found no source of feathers. When they called her close friend to tell her the news, she was in my mother's house, and said she had just discovered a white feather under the portrait of my mother that I had painted.

Since then, Mieke's white feather has appeared in our lives many times in many places. Sometimes it will show up humorously, like at a party we're sure she didn't want to miss. But they most often appear when we are in a moment of indecision, when we don't quite know what to do. James found one in a script he was having trouble working with. I just found one in my girlfriend's car.

My mother lived with an open heart, and we believe she is still very much in our lives. As soon as you see the feather, it instantly puts you into a conversation with her, and you can hear her advice. By constantly reminding us of her presence, she continues to share her wisdom and love with us even though she cannot physically be here."

This to me is just another testment that there's more out there than we sometimes care to believe or feel we're capable of handling.  I look forward to an inspiring read and will share my findings...

Well look at what showed up on the way in to work...

But what to my wondering eyes should appear!  I told myself not to look.  I know if I started "looking" I'd never find a feather today.

Happy Birthday once again ma'.  We'll be having Marie Callender's for dinner.  Let's see if they offer Beef Stroganoff!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Last year, my father wrote a Hub about my mom.  Today, October 8th is her birthday.  This year, she would be 75.  I'm trying to imagine what she would have looked like had she made it to 75.  Which brings me to last night's Facebook exchange.

Vernon Bradley HEY, EVERYBODY TOMORROW IS THE LADY'S BIRTHDAY. SHE WOULD BE 75. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE. I IMAGINE WE STOP AGING. SO MAYBE SHE IS NOT 75, BUT IS JUST A BEAUTIFUL AGELESS WOMAN IN HEAVEN.

SO CHECK OUT THE BLOG I WROTE LAST YEAR ABOUT THE LADY AND HAVE BEEF STROGANOFF TODAY IN HER HONOR

Marianne Byers I miss Roberta. Noel's godmother.

Jacob Byers I miss her so much too, I love envisioning my kids running up to her to show her stuff, and her being there with her welcoming smile and gentle presence.

Neffertti S. Bradley I like that,a beautiful ageless woman in heaven! I thank you Roberta for David.He is a wonderful human being. He is my angel on this earth...


How lucky we all are to know you Roberta Marie O'Neill Bradley.  Thank you for making your presence known and for watching over me, my family, friends and my wife.  Thank you for showing me love, compassion, and forgiveness.  I miss being able to see you in physical form.  I miss being able to hug you.  But I still "see" you and feel your presence everyday.


Since you left this earth, you've still been teaching me.  I'm learning more about true faith, connecting to infinity and way more open.  Please keep the lessons coming...


Happy Birthday once again! 

It's 7:45 am.  Today is Doris' Funeral.  Ironic?  Let's see what the day holds...  Eyes and ears open everyone!

Fair Winds, Doris. May the wind always be on your back.

"Fair winds" is a nautical term.  It is one of the ways sailors say goodbye.  I like the implication though because  it isn't a permanent farewell.  "Fair winds" says you're going on a journey.  "May the wind always be on your back" is wishing the sailor an easy voyage.  And looking at it from the point of view of those of us staying in port; here we are, sending off someone we've grown to know and even love, wishing them a safe journey and praying for their safety.  All the while with a subtle knowledge that we will see them again.

Doris was our neighbor.  She was in her 80's.  She was from Texas and even though she had lived here in Los Angeles for many, many years she still had a little drawl on her.  In the mornings she would get up before the rest of the building and patrol the property.  Making sure all was safe and secure.  Every cat in the building would be at the door or window to greet her as she made her laps around the first and second floors.  She knew the mailman's schedule better the the mailman.  If you left town for a few days, you could guarantee yourself a full report of the goings on in the building upon your return.

Doris had  seen the Great Depression as a child, experienced the Second World War from the home front, was around to watch Elvis on Ed Sullivan, then the Beatles, Vietnam, Watergate...  Doris was a witness to history.  Her life experience came from a different point of view.  She saw a side of this country that younger people hopefully will never have to.  Especially when you listen to and learn from Doris.

Doris knew everyone in the building.  Some more than others, but never the less, she knew everyone and everyone knew her.  Most of us had a little Doris Job to work on.  Apt 18 would take out her trash every morning, Apt. 15 would help with bills, Apt. 20 dialed the phone.  Apt. 12 would take her for a burger.  Everyone had a little job.  And it was OK.  Doris was like our resident Grandma.

She lived alone in her little time capsule called Apartment 19.  Not a whole lot had changed in there since the 60's.  Pictures of loved ones long gone and loved ones still here were strewn about the apartment.  Her life as we knew it here in the building was simple and quiet.

She had moments though where, as her eyesight began to fail her, she would need help dialing the phone, reading a letter, a phone number, confirming a time or appointment.  Many times we thought her request for help was also spawned by her need to just talk to someone or have someone around.  We could all tell she was lonely.  It is hard to see someone struggle with loneliness.  You do the best you can to spend time with her, grant her attention when she needs it and comfort her when she has that look...

Doris used to have a look that I know and understand.  It was a look of fear.  Anxiety.  Doris was suffering in Apartment 19.  She never lost her whit though.  She always kept good humor, even when you could tell she was depressed.  She would make little hints as to why the depression and anxiety plagued her and she would talk often about keeping God close to her.  She recited The Serenity Prayer often. I think we all did our best to comfort her and tried to help keep her spirits up.

As she got closer to her time, she spoke of dying a little more frequently and talked about being in heaven with God.  I don't think she wished for death but I do think that as her body began to give out and she saw her time on this planet coming to a close that she was ready to some extent and more than anything just wanting to get it over with.  This is one of the symptoms of anxiety.  I understood this part of Doris and felt entirely helpless to do anything about it.

Last Thanksgiving when I realized she would be alone and not with her family, I called Jerry's Deli and had a turkey dinner delivered to her.  Thinking if she knew who it was from she may be too proud to accept it, I had the driver tell her it was from Santa Claus.  Well that backfired!  She, not knowing who it was from refused to eat it for fear someone might be trying to poison her.  A fine case of "it's the thought that counts."  I never admitted to being Santa Claus.

While we were on vacation recently, Doris fell and hurt her back.   The doctors said she was OK and sent her home.  She however continued to be in pain...

One early morning there was commotion outside.  It had been a few weeks since the fall, she was still hurting and the pain was just too much.  Outside was an ambulance, her daughter and son-in-law.  Doris was on the gurney and heading down the stairs with that look I know so well.  I wondered if this was the beginning of the end for Doris.

The building went on yellow alert.  Keeping in contact with her family and passing updates to one another.

Meanwhile, feathers began to accumulate on her screen door.  This to me said the journey for Doris is about to change.  This is the beginning of the end.  Doris was getting ready to change course in a big way.

If you're reading this for the first time and wonder what the deal with feathers is, just know that for me (and a few others), a feather can be a que from those that have gone before us.  In this case, my mother.  When times are hard, when I am in need of reassurance or validation a feather tends to pop up in places too specific to just be "coincidence."  If you'd like to read more about that, take a look at an article I wrote called "Trains, Feathers and Butterflies"

Soon we found out Doris had a small fracture on her back and that they were going operate.  She also had a broken foot.  She had her surgery and was scheduled to go to rehab for a while and then there was talk of maybe coming back, maybe going to live with her family, maybe an assisted living center.  Clearly, Doris had other plans.

From rehab, Doris wasn't eating and didn't seem all that interested in getting back on her feet. She was confused and tired.  Eventually, she had to go back to the hospital.  That's when a few more feathers showed up on her door.  Time to pay Doris a visit.

My wife and I headed down to the hospital on a Tuesday night.  Her family was there.  She was visiting with her daughter, son-in-law, and grand-daughter.  Doris seemed peaceful, confused, happy, impatient, witty, and scared all at the same time.  She told us about who in the building has been by and about the handsome boy back at the rehab clinic.  After her family had gone home Doris made a comment about being in heaven by Thanksgiving.  I told her not to worry about when she winds up in heaven and to assume that if she's still here that God's got a few more things for her to do before he's going to call her home.  I also told her that while she's here she's got an obligation to get better.  It was my two cents.  Once again, clearly, Doris and God had it all worked out and perhaps I should have just kept my big trap shut.  We humans are interesting in our attempts to control things we don't yet fully understand...

The last week of September.  Monday the 27th was a dry Las Vegas style heat that set records in Los Angeles but by Tuesday the clouds had rolled in and the weather turned tropical and humid.  Still hot though but not as bad due to the scattered showers, moist air and occasional spark of lightening.  Wednesday was a beautiful day and an even more beautiful evening.  As we drove to my in-laws for dinner we saw a beautiful rainbow.  It was 6:20 in the evening.  I took a few pictures with my cell phone.  The need to capture this was incredible.  The sunset that night was simply breathtaking.  It was one of those sunsets where you wonder if you look close enough maybe you can catch a quick glimpse of the gates of heaven.  

My in-laws have a missionary in training staying with them.  After dinner this man and I spoke about God, God's love, and God's relationship with us humans.  We talked about what it means to be "Christian."

The next morning, our neighbor from across the hall came by to tell us that Doris had passed away early Wednesday evening.  Sometime after the rainbow but before the sunset.  Looks like Doris got her wish.  Thanksgiving with Jesus! 

Then this shows up on Doris' screen door!  Where in the Sam-hell did this come from?  It wasn't there on Wednesday?!?!  My logical brain told me that yes, even though something subtly miraculous is happening on this screen door right now these are still mostly small feathers that could have been blown here by the wind.  Never mind the fact that they're ONLY on Doris' door.  This is a big feather that looks almost placed.  It was also the day I found all those feathers in the pool.  I wrote a blog on that and the lessons we can learn from Feathers in the Pool.  But now as I write this, I can't help but wonder if there was an additional message going on.  

I will let you, the reader, make your own interpretation.  But for me, this was Mom's way of letting me know Doris is with her, that she was there to help Doris' set sail on her new journey and that once again, I need to enjoy the mystery and give myself permission to not try so hard to figure it out.

Was there anything else I learned from Doris?  Yes, but that may be for another blog.  At this moment, I would like to send Doris off with an Irish blessing.  Now, as I said in the beginning, this is not goodbye.  I fully expect to have a few more encounters with Doris.  I'm not sure how, but I am confident that she will watch over us and give blessings to this building.  She may also haunt and terrorize the Manager a bit, but only out of love.  

Thank you Doris for being our neighbor.  Thank you for the laughs, the wisdom, the updates.  Thank you for watching over us and thank you for being you...

"May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Feathers in the Pool!

What the heck are all these feathers doing in the pool?  Well as I was looking at them and after shooting the video I asked myself, what's the message?  Looking at the obvious, I thought, OK, we have feathers and we have water.

So what?  Well this instantly brings to mind to quotes which I shall share here and because these quotes came to mind so quickly, I can only assume that these quotes are the message today... 

So here you go...

"Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

     -Bruce Lee

 

The next quote comes from To Build the Life You Want, Create the Work You Love:

"When flowing water ... meets with obstacles on its path, a blockage in its journey, it pauses. It increases in volume and strength, filling up in front of the obstacle and eventually spilling past it.... "Do not turn and run, for there is nowhere worthwhile for you to go. Do not attempt to push ahead into the danger ... emulate the example of the water: Pause and build up your strength until the obstacle no longer represents a blockage."

A few morsels of food for your thoughts...

This one's a keeper.

More often than not I don't "keep" the feathers I find.  Considering I'm not in the pillow or mattress business and that I find enough to do so, I usually just take a picture, write a little something and then move on.  However, after seeing this one the other morning in the parking lot on my way to work, I decided to keep this one.  It was full and lovely and reminded my of an old school pen.  Like something used to sign the Declaration of Independence.

So after I took the picture I put it in my briefcase and brought it home.  Well, sometimes life get's in the way.  It stayed in the briefcase for a few days.  Easily distracted at times I let this feather hang out in the briefcase until it's new home presented itself to me.

Most of the time, the finding of a feather has some significance or meaning.  At least it does for me.  Hence this blog.  For me and for you the reader, the finding of these feathers and the reading of this blog is the Universe's (God's) way of reminding you about some principle, behavior or action.  Even something as simple as "you're not alone" or "you are loved."  These reminders are important as daily life can easily distract you from the reality that there is more out there then these 3 to 4 dimensions we experience in the physical world.

This feather was just found.  I couldn't see or hear any real reason for finding it.  Yet it was a rather large and lovely feather.  What was the meaning?  It was early on a Saturday morning, I was about to walk into work, I had been listening to an audio book called Sell to Survive, my mind was relatively clear.  I wasn't deep in thought on some specific topic.  So what's this big ol' feather all about?

Sometimes I get paranoid and wonder if it's a sign that I'm going to die soon...  How's that for an over active imagination???  When I find a feather near a cross walk, believe you me, I'm looking both ways!

But not today; not this feather.  So it goes in the briefcase waiting to find it's new home. 

A few days later, I find the spot.  I placed in on top of our CD shelf that has pictures of me and the wife.  And to make sure it doesn't blow away I rested it under a black and white salt and pepper shaker of two people embracing.  Forget the "color" aspect of it just for a second because that's too obvious.  Look at where it is.  This goes in to remind me and us the value of differences in a relationship and how two individuals can come together to form a whole.  I am unique and my wife is unique.  We function independently of each other.  I don't "need" her to survive.  She can "live" without me.  But now that we have found each other and have chosen to live our lives together, we form a unit.  Like salt and pepper.  Both good by themselves, but together, make a great combination that enhances the flavor of almost any dish. 

This feather stands out in bold relief to remind us to appreciate the healthy differences in the people we have chosen to be in our lives.  From your spouse to you co-workers to your friends and family.  Each one of us has something to bring to the table that can enhance the flavor of the relationship.  My wife brings patience, compassion, understanding, and deep, deep love that leaves me, more often than not, in awe of how blessed I am and how grateful I am that she is here to season my life to the fullest of flavors.

For those of you reading and thinking about ways to season your own relationships, you might want to add "From the Frying Pan To The Jacuzzi" to your library.  It is a very useful book my father wrote about success in relationships.  Whether you're in one now or not doesn't really matter.  What does matter is that you have the tools to succeed in not only a marriage but in all relationships you have.  If you deal with people, you have relationships.  Those people will be different from you.  How will you manage?

What I am left with here is that all feathers found have a message.  If not right away, sooner or later.  As always the key is to remain open to the message and be aware of the presence of Universe and how it will point out to you the path you need.  It will never be late and it will always arrive right on time.

FWD:So I was just starting to stress out a little...

"So I was just starting to stress out a little bit when I stumbled across this on my way back in the house."

-Jacob Byers

This is from my cousin for those not in the know...  he sent me a more detailed explanation but after careful consideration I realized rather quickly that this is better left a little ambiguous.  The question for you the reader is, what reminders magically pop up for you when you find yourself getting stressed?  How does the Universe and those that have gone ahead remind you to stop and take a breath?  What will you find today?

Between the Screen

How did this tiny feather wind up between my screen and the frame like this?  Seriously?  These are one of those happy accidents that exist strictly to remind us that there is something bigger out there other than "coincidence."


You can choose to be a part of it or you can blame the wind.  Call me crazy but I'll sleep better when I choose to be a part of it.

How about you?  Doesn't it make more sense to believe in something bigger and greater...?  And that this little feather somehow wound up here one morning by the grace of the wind?

Who was in charge of the wind on this morning?  That's what I'd like to know!  And somehow they were able to guide it right between the frame and the screen for my wife to find as I left for work?

You can call it what you like, but I still hang a stocking by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, so I think you know where I stand on this one...

Gratitude Feather

What is a Gratitude Feather?  This one, in fact.  And for you, who ever that may be, the next feather you find or stumble upon will be your Gratitude Feather.  When you find it (and you will) keep it with you so you will be reminded of this ancient wisdom I am about to share with you...

Regardless of what is going on in your life, find a way to be grateful for it and everything you experience.  Be especially grateful for the good but also be grateful for the bad. For without the bad, you would never know what good truly is.

My Nana was famous for saying "Praise the Lord."  In good times and in bad times, no matter what was going on, "Praise the Lord!"

Wayne Dyer in The Power of Intention talks about finding a penny, picking it up and thanking God for this small token of abundance.

"Develop an attitude of gratitude for all that manifests into your life.  Be thankful and filled with awe and appreciation, even if what you desire hasn't arrived yet.  Even the darkest days of your life are to be looked on with gratitude.  Everything coming from Source is on purpose.  Be thankful while empowering your reconnection to that from which you and everything else originated."

That right there is some powerful wisdom.

If you've read Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsh, the first part of that book is spent on understanding who we, as humans, really are.  It challenges us to look at ourselves as first a spiritual being then a human being.  Wayne Dyer also touches on that saying we are spiritual beings having a human experience.  In Conversations with God, it goes a step further saying that much of what we go through in life, the human experience, is in part mostly our choice.  That we are infinite beings experiencing what life is like in this 3D world in order to better appreciate and fully grasp and appreciate the wonder and beauty of the spiritual plane that we originated from and will eventually return to.

Eastern Philosophy like the Tao will teach us about Yin and Yang.  Positive cannot exist without negative.  It is your decision to appreciate everything that comes your way and relish in your time spent here.  It is happening for a greater purpose and all of life is a lesson, an experience and part of your path.  Your journey is not only of your design but it is something you co-create.  When things don't seem to go your way, this is your opportunity to pause and regroup.  Where and how have you fallen off course and is this negative experience a reminder from the Universe to get back on course?

We will examine true and intense suffering in another blog, but for now let's look at the day to day events in our "ordinary" lives and make sure to recognize as Dan Millman puts it, "there are no ordinary moments" and let us be grateful for everything that moves through our lives.

Keep in mind, the next feather you stumble upon is your unique Gratitude Feather.  When you find it, pick it up, thank the Universe for it and put it somewhere you will see it often as a reminder to "Praise the Lord" through the good and bad.