Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Symbol!

The word from my heart pocket is Symbol!

We look for signs. "It's a sign," we say. We like feeling we're on the right path. We love knowing we're where we're supposed to be, that we're doing the right thing, that it's going to be okay, that we are fine.

Well, those things are all true, all the time. But most of us still need training wheels when we enter new territory so we look for signs, for symbols that affirm our choices and our direction. They are there for us to enjoy and use for our own purpose. Symbols speak to us personally. We assign meaning to objects and happenings and in that moment, there is no other way to communicate what we are feeling.

Symbols are a form of communication. They are no more than this. When they are taken beyond the moment of communication and concretized, they lose their effectiveness. Symbols aren't meant to be the last word. They are translucent so that the road ahead remains clear. Symbols offer guidance and affirmation. They are meant to breathe life and inspiration into a person, a project, a journey. When we insist that the meaning belongs to everyone, the symbol turns to stone and becomes absurd.

The number of different symbols available to us is undetermined and always growing. Society has assigned meaning to lots of icons like hearts and stars and swastikas. These conjure deep feelings and mean different things to different societies, depending on who you are. Communication is often unclear. People are grossly misunderstood because their understanding of a symbol is different from that of the others with whom they are interacting. 

Words are common and very powerful symbols. They have numerous meanings and if there is no vocal inflection or body language by which to further interpret, a person can say something completely innocent and be maligned for his words. Email is a fine example of the way words can be misconstrued.

Music offers some of the most beautiful symbols in our communication arena. There are symbols for writing music, symbols for interpreting the music that is being read. The music itself is symbolic and magical because it means something different to each of us.

I had a very personal experience with a symbol last week when I was driving to California. I have moved there and the decision, once made, happened more quickly than I could ever have imagined it possible. That felt like "a sign" to me but I barely had time to dwell on it. There were lots of other occurrences that enabled my swift exit; things that in other times have been huge obstacles literally melted away exactly at the right time. There are too many to even relate here!

My personal experience  happened when I turned on my phone to listen to some music during my drive. I had been driving along, thinking about my mom who died when I was 21. I've always thought about her during transitional times, calling on thoughts like "what would Mom do in this situation" when I felt I needed a helping hand. This move was huge for me. My desire for artistic expression, largely through writing, music and art, grew to inspirational heights with just the prospect of the change. Mom was one of my biggest champions in this arena. I've longed for her support for most of my adult life. 

Amid these thoughts, I decided to try out Pandora, the internet radio station. I typed in Josh Groban's name and a random song came up. I listened in literal shock, had to pull off the highway. I sat looking at the mountains of California in the distance, hearing the words inside the melody ... "Don't give up because you want to be heard. If silence keeps you, I will break it for you ... Don't give up because you want to burn bright. If darkness blinds you then I will shine to guide you ..."

I have heard this song before. I know the focus of this song is supposed to be God speaking to us. For me, it was a message from Mom. It felt like she was speaking directly to my heart, knowing how excited I am to have chosen to be nearer to my children, to move to a place where my gifts and the things I was trained to do are incredibly valued. Most of all, I felt her support for this choice.It came through our favorite artistic medium, music. I am a songwriter and a singer. It was a great sign, a wonderfully symbolic moment for me. It was personal and indelibly meaningful. 

This is an example of the power of our symbols and how we are to absorb them within our hearts, to use as kindling for the fires that keep us going. Symbols are translucent and shining. They lift us up and out and forward. They do not bind us in any way. We do not worship them. We accept them with gratitude and we get to keep the memory of such symbolic moments to use when we need strength or encouragement or simply to know ... we are loved.