I remember sitting in a bereaved parents meeting the first year after my son died. The topic was “Signs from our Children.” I sat in amazement as one by one parents told the stories of signs they had from their children. I was thinking why am I not getting any from my Son? This is not fair, one more reason I should stop coming to this meeting. As I listened I realized that my Son was giving me signs, I just was not recognizing them. It started on the day we buried him and had continued many times until that meeting. They problem was I never noticed them until that meeting. Luckily I still get signs to this day.

We used to have a secret code where we would squeeze each other’s hand 3 times and that meant “I Love you.” One of the signs I frequently get is feathers, not just one but three in a period of a few minutes. I think it is his way of saying “I love you.” My family sometimes laughs at me when someone wakes up after they slept on a feather pillow, I will see a feather on them and tell them it is a sign. They tell me I’m crazy, I was just sleeping on a feather pillow. I may grasp at times to think it’s a sign from my son, but I think anything that keeps us closer to our children that are no longer with us is comfort for a grieving parent. It brings a smile to my face and warmth to my heart.

It’s almost magical how our loved ones want to let us know they’re okay. I don’t know how much energy it takes on their part to get in touch with us, but I’m sure it’s quite a bit. Here are a list of signs that our loved ones use to show us love:

Butterflies, Dragonflies, Birds {especially Cardinals} and other animals

Pennies, dimes, nickels, quarters

Meaningful numbers (look for them on license plates, clocks, etc.)

Electrical appliances (lights flickering, TV on or off, etc.)

Feathers

Heart shaped rocks, or hearts in nature

Photographs (images or auras in them, orbs)

Smells

Dreams

I hear parents questioning a possible sign, “Do you really think that was my child?” Don’t second guess yourself. Instead, be comforted knowing that your child is with you.

When your child takes the time and energy to show you they are ok, cherish it! They are around to visit and comfort you, so enjoy the moment!