Searching For

Just look at what was in the sky as I took a drive up the California coast yesterday. It had been raining off and on for miles. Up ahead in the distance I could see an opening in the clouds above. To my amazement, as I drove on, the open space began to form the shape of a heart. And yes, I was operating a vehicle at an approximate speed of 70 mph. And no, I did not pull over as I grabbed my phone to capture what I saw.

Several days prior I’d found a heart shaped stone quite unintentionally while doing some gardening. I photographed it and wrote about it here. What I didn’t mention was that later in the day just outside my back gate was another heart waiting for me. With clusters of tall palm trees here and there around the neighborhood one grows accustomed to seeing fragments of palm fronds that the breezes have sent down to earth. But this! This literally took me aback with its undeniable form and uncanny timing. Twice in one day a shape so recognizable presents itself to you. Something you weren’t looking for, placed by a shift of the earth, a strong breeze, a naturally occurring atmospheric condition. In other words, created and positioned without the assistance of a human hand doing so. That in itself deserves a very slow and contemplative “wow.”

Later on, while scrolling through Instagram, I saw a photo of a heart-shaped cloud that stood out against a piercingly blue sky. Ever since seeing that striking image I admit to looking up (a lot) for my own heart shaped message in the sky. And what do you know? One did appear even if not as brilliantly white and against a sky more gray than blue. But it was undeniably a heart even if you had to squint a little to make it so.

Sometimes what shows up in your life actually appears in the approximate shape you were looking for. Sometimes what shows up has a beauty all its own if not an exact replica of of what you’ve seen pictured elsewhere. And then, every once in a blue moon, what shows up is a perfect ten in your own eyes and in your own heart. Certainly something to ponder. Definitely something to be grateful for.