Did you ever find affirmation through a visible sign? Maybe for you it was seeing a butterfly against your window, a cardinal appearing unexpectedly, or a rainbow’s glory on a day where everything seemed to go wrong. 

For me, finding a four-leaf clover has always brought a smile because it reminds me of my husband Mark. On our first date [in 1983!], he plucked a four-leaf clover from a tiny patch of grass as we sat in Rittenhouse Square, a busy urban park in Philadelphia, and handed it to me. Ever since then, this talisman has signified good tidings and the power of love. 

Here’s an example. The summer after Mark died, I decided to take Pennsylvania’s three week safety course to learn how to ride a motorcycle. My bike began having mechanical issues right before the actual license test. I had to borrow a different bike which was unfamiliar to me. As I sat on the curb nervously holding back tears of grief, fear and self-doubt, I looked down and saw a four-leaf clover. Incredibly, when I picked it up I saw a fifth leaf behind the fourth. I took this as a personal message that though I felt alone, he was still with me and our three children, just like the hidden fifth leaf. This gave me newfound courage. As a result I went on to get a perfect score on the test and receive my motorcycle license. 

Encouragement can come in many forms. Sometimes all you need is a small bit of it to magically transform your attitude and inspire self confidence.

Yesterday I found the beautiful four-leaf clover pictured above during a bike ride on the Northwest River Trail near our home. Just finding it made me feel happier and shifted my perspective to a larger picture. A friend recently named such little happenings “Pop Rocks for our souls”. [Thank you @charissabrim] They offer a quick re-set that transforms the ordinary into a touchpoint of something meaningful, of a bigger reality.  

What about you? What signs from the universe might lift you, encourage you or give you a fresh dose of courage? May you both seek and find your own signs, perhaps even today.