Signs

Signs:

Signs.

They are everywhere.

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But only if you look for them.

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Let me tell you a story.

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I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro recently.

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The tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

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Before doing it, had a total of 4 hours hiking experience.

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But did it anyway.

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Boy, was it worth it.

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A few moments stand out.

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Obviously, the top.

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But even just before.

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When I was struggling with my oxygen levels.

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You can read about that in my other piece here.

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But another situation happened.

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One I won’t forget for the rest of my life.

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It’s day 3.

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I’d been on the mountain for a few days.

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Freezing.

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0 degrees every night.

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Every night I didn’t sleep properly.

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Waking up wearing the same clothes.

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No shower.

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No amenities.

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Wake up at 5 am.

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Start hiking by 6.

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And this was our first big day.

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Over 10 hours of hiking.

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Took us 7 hours to get to Lava Tower.

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The highest point I had ever been before.

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4600M or 15,000 feet.

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Had lunch there.

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Then made the long walk down.

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Took us another 4 hours.

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But here’s the problem.

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I was sick.

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I was pissing out everything.

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Had been taking Diamox for a few days.

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And one of the side effects is frequent urination.

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So I’m pissing like a fountain.

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The problem is I didn’t have enough sodium.

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Didn’t have enough electrolytes.

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So everything I’m drinking, I’m immediately pissing out.

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This is when I start to get a headache.

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I had frequent migraines as a kid.

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I did not want one of these at the top of a mountain.

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So by the time I got back to the camp, I was exhausted.

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I needed to lie down.

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So I did.

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Next to my friend who I’ve known since I was in elementary school.

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I closed my eyes.

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I opened them after a few seconds and boom.

A white feather drops onto my finger.

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I show my friend.

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‘Look’

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And here’s why I couldn’t believe it.

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On July 10, 2010, Mano Kaura passed away.

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He was my grandfather.

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He was an amazing man.

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Super caring.

Raised 6 kids, including my mom.

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Drove an ice cream truck.

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Have an ice cream tattoo on my wrist to remind him of me every day.

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Got me into cheering for Liverpool FC.

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And sadly, he passed away from kidney failure.

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He was born with only one kidney.

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So this was a problem he faced his whole life.

Sadly, he was gone at 65.

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When he died, I was broken.

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Devastated.

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Thankfully, my parents allowed me to be the only kid to attend his funeral.

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What an experience that was.

I will never forget the viewing at our home, where they had his lifeless body in a suit in an open casket in my grandma’s house so everyone could come by and pay their respects.

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The thing I remember most about it is how cold he was.

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Frozen.

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Nothing.

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No soul.

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Just a lifeless body.

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My aunt, just after he passed, decided to go to a psychic.

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Now you can have whatever beliefs you want about them.

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And I sure have mine.

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But here’s my experience.

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She was told your dad (my grandfather) will always be with you.

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And you’ll know he’s around when you see a white feather.

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We didn’t think anything of it.

Until this.

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The day of his funeral, when his casket was loaded into the van, a white feather dropped on the front.

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Since that day, no one in my family will ever forget it.

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The white feather.

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And here’s the weird thing.

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I’ve had my own experiences with a white feather coming out of nowhere.

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In a hot tub.

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On the toilet.

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In my house by myself.

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In front of my elevator at my condo, going to work.

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Random times.

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But it’s not random to me.

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It’s a sign.

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A small white feather.

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Dropping down from who knows where.

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But this is a thing I’ve learned.

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Read a book a few months back.

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‘Signs’ by Laura Lynne Jackson, a famous psychic.

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The biggest takeaway was this.

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Ask the universe.

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The signs are all around you.

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But only if you pay attention.

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So I asked.

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The day before I traveled to Africa, I went to my home temple.

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I prayed to god.

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And then I asked.

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‘Nannaji, if you’re out there, please let me know I’m ok on my trip.’

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And I left it.

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Didn’t think anything of it.

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And forgot it.

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Yet.

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The day that I struggled.

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The day I suffered.

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The day I was about to give up.

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A sign came.

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From him.

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Or god.

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Or someone else.

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But it came.

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A white feather dropped in my tent on the side of a mountain in Africa.

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It’s a moment I’ll remember forever.

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And it made it that much sweeter when I reached the top.

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It was exactly the sign I needed.

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I knew he was with me every step.

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He’s always there.

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Always around.

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Always watching.

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Sometimes you have to ask the universe for signs.

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But don’t be surprised when they come back.

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For the universe never makes mistakes.

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It’s always giving you signs.

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