Am I Becoming a Crow?

Am I Becoming a Crow?

By Andrea Tadpole-Broussard

2/12/24

Those of you who know me know that I am always looking for signs and symbols around me. I believe they are messages from the other side, aka Heaven. I am always finding coins. Today was no different. I found a quarter and a penny. For some reason, coins always remind me of my Dad. I also found a tiny cross with a beautiful red gem in it. I do not think it is worth anything. It is just pretty to me. My first thought when I saw it was that it would go on my altar that I will start creating soon. I had already asked God to send me the things that belonged on it. So, this is the first one.

Later, as I was sweeping up leaves I went to an area I rarely sweep. There was this beautiful reflection of a rainbow on the concrete. I immediately thought of God’s promises and could have sworn He was standing right there. I clearly heard Him say, “Andrea, do not worry. I got you in my hands. I promised to always take care of you and I do not break my promises.” I stood there for a moment and let God’s comfort and peace wash over me. Then I kept sweeping.

As I swept, I was thinking about symbols and signs I see all the time. My mind went to the crow. I know it is my spirit animal, in fact all birds are. They always have been. However, the crow is extra special to me because it is my connection to my Dad in the spirit. I beckons to me.

I kept cleaning as my mind wandered. I remembered a story I read about how crows like to collect shiny objects. I realized that is exactly what I do. The question arose in my heart, “Am I becoming a crow?” I do not mean physically, I am talking metaphorically.

This question started an inner dialog with myself. Yes, I do have conversations with myself and God. I do not have a problem with that. People who do not do that are the abnormal ones. Not me. So, I began to think about all the birds that have crossed my path throughout my spiritual journey in life. Of them, the ones I have felt most drawn to are pigeons and especially crows since my Dad transitioned to the other side.

Crows have always been seen by most people as the lowest and most worthless birds. They are seen as a nuisance. I mean, farmers do have scarecrows after all. They are not wanted and do not fit in wherever they go. Yet, they are highly intelligent and excellent problem solvers. They are also known to be collectors of random things, especially if they are shiny.

My mind drifted to how my Dad used to tell me that he grew up without a bed and slept in the floor most nights. I remember when I was a little girl one time  he took me to see the home he was raised in. It had dirt floors, maybe two rooms and no running water or plumbing. His parents were very poor. My Dad told me he was treated as worthless as a child and felt like he never fit in. Yet,  just like the crow, he was highly intelligent and a great problem solver.

As an adult he worked hard. He served in the Navy and got an education. He always provided for us and we always had a bed to sleep in. When my Dad transitioned to the other side and we started going through his stuff, I found collections of random things many of them shiny, much like what I imagine crows collect. I kept some of them because just like my Dad and the crow, I have always been a collector.

Back to the question that I asked myself, “Am I becoming a crow?” I certainly hope I am! The spirit of a crow is just like my Dad’s; fiesty, stubborn, flamboyant with a sense of humor that will make you laugh so hard your sides ache. Yet, they both love their family and life’s misfits with a passion that never dies.

So, today, I will continue to be the crow and collect the shiny things. I will keep looking for signs and symbols from the other side. For, it is in these messages from Heaven that my eyes are open to the beauty that I can only see with my heart. It is where hope springs eternally and where love lives forever.