Signs and Synchronicity

May 25th, 2016

I believe in signs. You know, like when you desperately need someone with a certain expertise and you go to a party you normally wouldn't attend and end up seated next to someone who specializes in that area of expertise. What are the chances?

There seem to be times in my life when I experience more signs and synchronicity. This month has been one of them. I first noticed signs when I was in my second year of study at Ottawa University. My Godfather's son was struck by a drunk driver and remained in a coma at the hospital until his organs could be harvested. Then, with the assurance from physicians that his 17 year old son was brain dead, my Godparents made the toughest decision of their lives, they removed the life support systems from their son and watched his life force fade away.

Following his death, I would see 10:10 everywhere and hear Hotel California or Stairway to Heaven. These were all signs reminding me of my cousin. I heard both songs when I was visiting my Godfather's home. They were playing a tape recording of my cousin playing guitar and singing along to those songs. After his death, I would hear those songs on the radio as we were driving or on television as I was flicking through channels or in the background at restaurants and malls. I was confused about the significance of 10:10 but I knew this started happening after his death so it must be related. I asked my Godparents if there was an important date like October 10th linked to my cousin or if something had happened at 10am on the 10th. Nothing. The very next day, I started seeing 11:11 everywhere and I realized it wasn't the number that was important.

When we returned from Florida, just over a month ago, I was preparing for my workshops at KPS. Those workshops came about because my daughters had friends over at the house, two sisters. Their mother came in for a coffee. She asked me about my work and I mentioned that I would like to do more work in schools but it is difficult to get into classrooms. She happened to be the head of the Parent Council and told me they really wanted to get more art in the school. The school tends to focus on sports but the parents want art as well. She connected me to another mother on the Parent Council and we wrote a proposal and the rest as they say is history.

While I was offering my workshops at the school, a parent from another school heard about it. This parent has a child in each school and wanted me to offer my workshops at the other school as well. This school knows my work because I offered a few after-school workshops in November 2014. They are now applying for this funding as well because of this one parent who heard about me and recognized my name from 2014.

Yesterday, I was thinking about the future of my business. It's nearly the end of the school year and I needed to figure out whether to approach summer camps to keep working with children or, focus on my workshops with adults. I asked the "powers that be" for a sign. I received an e-mail from one of the moms who attended my workshop for parents at KPS. She wanted me to know that she and her son are excited about the plans they made to spend time together in the summer because of the Wish Box they created during my third workshop. I was thrilled! Then, I checked my mailbox because I was waiting on a book I ordered online. There was a letter from the mother of a young lady who was at my workshops at the other school in 2014. She wanted to thank me for the impact I had on her daughter. Apparently, she enjoyed my workshops and learned a great deal. She had drawn a picture for me and wanted me to have it. The mother said: "I'm sorry, this letter is over a year late". I wrote back to the mother and daughter thanking them for the letter and art and, I told the mother that her letter was NOT late, it was right on time. When I held that letter and read it, I felt chills run up and down my spine and the art made my eyes water. It was such a huge affirmation that I needed to proceed with my work.

Last week, I donated a copy of my Poobum and Pompom book to our local library and asked them if I could organize a book launch with them. They run lots of parent-child groups and I thought they would be the best place to launch my second book which is meant to help parents communicate with their little ones when they are adjusting to the arrival of a sibling. I was asked to e-mail their Community Outreach person. I did and there was no reply. One week later, I had not received an e-mail to acknowledge that my inquiry was received or to express interest in hosting my book launch. I returned today to ask if I should expect a response. I was informed that their Community Outreach person is part-time therefore she may get back to me when she is in tomorrow.

As I was leaving the library, I bumped into the owner of a local art gallery. I told her I was frustrated with this lack of response. She showed me why she was there. She was leaving pamphlets to advertise an art tour that happens every year. She suggested I go to her art gallery to sell and promote my book. I need an indoor space to keep art materials from flying away so I told her the front lawn of her gallery would not work for what I was trying to do. She said  I was welcome to go back some other time and use the back room of her art gallery. She then informed me that the Ottawa Art Gallery runs programs for young people. This led me to their website and what I discovered about their programs is very exciting. You never know what is just around the corner. I have bumped into this gallery owner many ties over the past month. We are setting up a coffee date to talk about how we can make use of her art gallery.

Everything happens for a reason. If you want more synchronicity in your life, start documenting all the coincidences that occur on a daily basis. If you own a journal, jot it down at the end of the day. Otherwise, keep track of synchronicity by writing it on a post it note. If you review your post its at the end of the week or month, you will notice a pattern. These "coincidences" are leading you in a direction. By paying attention to them, you will notice them increasing. To me, seeing signs and experiencing synchronicity is like crowd surfing. You let the signs propel you forward, trusting that you will end up where you need to be.

PS. When I logged in to write this post, I saw that 1111 people had read my blog. There is that number again :)

Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org