Hi, friend. To say that this was one of the emotionally hardest weeks I’ve had in a while is an understatement. Thank you for making the load a little lighter with your kind and thoughtful messages about my granny’s passing.
For weeks now, I’ve been looking for a sign from her in nature, a hello of sorts from wherever she is in the universe, and I think it came yesterday afternoon.
(Yes, I know it might seem silly to some, but it’s something that really helped me when Tabs died.)
Connor and I were headed to the dance studio for practice. She opened the door, stepped outside, and then, with a very calm, steady voice said, “Mom, don’t freak out, but there’s a baby snake right next to the doormat. Stay calm and don’t scream.”
So, of course I screamed. And then I jumped about 20 feet into the air!
The baby snake quickly scooted away underneath the house, and I swear, it looked absolutely delighted with my reaction.
Seeing snakes in our neighborhood this time of year isn’t surprising because we’re surrounded by open space on the hills with tons of animals, but I’ve never seen a snake right on our doorstep.
Later that evening, we looked it up because Connor desperately wanted to know what type it was. Apparently it was black with a red collar around its neck — details which she provided because I was too busy freaking out, ha ha ha. We found out it was a ring-necked snake, which lives in our area but is a very rare sighting.
I want to believe it was granny saying hi while keeping me on my toes. Now that I think about it, she was way too feisty to send me a sign through a delicate butterfly or a dainty hummingbird. A spunky snake wearing a red necklace and showing up unexpectedly on my doorstep is totally her style. I’m sure wherever she is, she’s cracking up.
I totally recognize that it could’ve been purely a coincidence, but here’s the thing. Today she’s being laid to rest; I can’t help but acknowledge the splendid timing of it all.
Anyway, I’m so emotionally tired. I’ve been sad and happy at the same time… It’s a weird feeling.
So, today, I’m going to take time to care for myself by focusing on the glimmers, which are the opposite of triggers. Glimmers are moments that happen throughout your day which spark moments of joy and peace.
Writing this has sparked some joy, so thank you for listening.
Please take some time today to find your glimmers, if you can. They’re out there waiting for us. Sometimes they might even show up as a spunky baby snake on your doorstep. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
This is so awesome and I absolutely agree your grandma visited you through that little snake! She was telling you everything will be alright, and you no longer have to worry about her.
Connor is a girl after my own heart! That’s the first thing I do when I see wildlife I’m not familiar with! I take a picture and put it on iNat for help with the ID, then I look up the details on it.
Snakes are great for the environment – that little guy will get rid of all the icky bugs and spiders near your house! 🙂
Take care of yourself!
An interesting thing is to share those moments with your sibling(s) because they will have their own instances of noting a loved one’s presence, and it’s amusing to hear the different things they do to say hi. I’m glad she dropped by!
I had Cardinals after My Mars passed – they kept coming every day and even up to the window – Same with my Brother. I see them now and then but not like before – It’s signs like that, that make you know they are watching over you and they are at peace – My heart goes out to you.
What a heart lifting story. After my 102 year old Dad passed (going full tilt until the very end), I saw a white pigeon outside my window. White doves you see once in a while but white pigeons are extremely rare. I think it was Dad’s way of checking on me (all of my family, including 3 siblings are gone, so it’s just me now).
May your grandmothers memories bring lots of glimmer moments.
Connor Claire so calm about grandma slithering by to say hello. What a unique glimmer-sighting. ☺️ Snake totem also means: “You are in the process of transformation. Old emotional wounds are now healed allowing you to move forward without guilt or fear.”
When my hubby’s Oba died in Austria, he visited us here in Honolulu in the form of a nosy baby bird that wanted so badly to come into our apartment. Usually we have pigeons walking around, casing the joint, but this was a different bird that we don’t normally see here and we haven’t seen since. We think he stopped by to satisfy his curiosity, since he’d never left the country while he was alive, and make sure we were okay.
Karen, I’m so sorry about your Granny. I’m glad that you had this Glimmer and am totally on board with signs from our loved ones. I could give you 1000 examples of similar “coincidences” so, whether others believe it or not, if it helps you and brings you joy and comfort, then I hope you get many, many more! <3
Thank you, Kim. 🙂