I love it! My zodiac sign is Taurus and that’s associated with a bull which I feel is sort of fitting (strong willed) but I don’t want to be a bull! A friend told me hummingbird, small, vibrant, don’t fuck with them... haha I like that one better.
This is such a beautiful post... my heart ached reading the experience your sister went through. In the UK pill bugs are called woodlouse... I think they are the same anyway from your description... my brother loved them and used to make them pets when we were a kid! I still think of him every time I see one!
I adore that idea from the school... how beautiful. The Robin has always been a symbol and sign for me... I dreamt of it the night my Nanna passed away! I’m going to contemplate some more. Thank you xxx
Oh yes, I think I remember it is also called woodlice so that makes sense! A robin is a good symbol! I have found a lot of people resonate with creatures that fly. There’s something about going upward, flying, or being set free. It’s also interesting we see so many symbols and signs when it comes to our loved ones who have passed on.
This is beautiful post and my heart goes out to your sister for her devastating loss. ❤️ I too look for symbols in nature and tend to look up any critter I see to find out what the message from the universe might be. Right now I'm seeing a lot of monarchs, lizards, and spiders. I love that your son is a pill bug or a potato bug is what we called them when I was a kid. Back then, my mom told me to never kill spiders because they mean "money is coming." There are tons of webs outside out house right now with big spiders lingering in the center, waiting for Postmates. I just say hello when I walk past and thank them for the bags of money that are sure to come my way. Seriously though, every time I've seen a big spider in the house, without a fail, a check usually arrives in the mail. So I believe! In terms of what my spirit animal is, it's definitely the Roseate Spoonbill. When you see a picture of this kooky bird, you will understand why.
Hahaha oh my gosh I just googled it! It’s so good. That is one fascinating bird! I found a tarantula in my kitchen a few years ago and considered burning my house down after that. We let it free. How come I didn’t win the lottery after that?!?!
😂 Oh wow. A tarantula!! Are you sure no money showed up afterwards? Not even $20 in a pocket you forgot about? Maybe tarantulas are the exception to the rule because if I ever saw one in my house, I would definitely need to be sedated. I'm glad you set it free. That has to be good karma. The Rosette Spoonbill is the Iris Apfel of birds in my book. I just love how colorful and kooky they look.
What a wonderful article, thank you. Over the last few days a black, red and Orange butterfly landed on my husbands shirt as he sat in the garden. I’ve always thought this is his father coming back to say hello, and sadly more recently, having lost our niece too, this butterfly showed to around her anniversary. It felt comforting.
Thanks to Kylie-Ann @Distracted for pointing me to this post.
Thank you for coming here to comment and read! There is something about butterflies! Or beings that fly that are so beautiful and allow us to think of those special people we want to remember.
I LOVE this post! I didn't know about the practice of assigning symbols to children. I think that's wonderful! What a beautiful teaching on relationality and looking for connections.
I was wondering if this is a universal practice at all Waldorf preschools? My son goes to another Waldorf school and he was given a symbol after 1 meeting. Anyway, I’m glad I experienced the thoughtfulness of the symbol at his previous school
Me too! That seemed like such an important part of it, that the teacher really got to know the student first. I suppose the teacher who gives the symbol after one meeting might be super empathic and knows the child just as well. 🤷♀️
I love the many characteristics of the chamomile flower and pill bug! For Catalina, she has delicacy and strength with a calm surface and strong inner self! Jack is gentle and strong, like his papa, will roll along with all activities yet for him, he will curl up into himself for a bit until he feels safe, then stretch out when he’s ready to test the waters before jumping in! I see their teacher puts a lot of thought into this. It’s beautiful. It’s not like we can place our very identity by these abjectives and nouns, but given with love, it’s fun to think about. After my husband had moved to a new school as an active kid, who now covered his insecurities with behavior, his teacher called him a grasshopper. But it wasn’t with love. She said it as an insult because she didn’t know how to handle him. She said you look like a grasshopper You smell like a grasshopper, and you are a grasshopper! he replied, you look like a —-, you smell like a — and you are a —-! It was a naughty word, and he got in trouble for it. Since that day school had changed for him. Our son Jeremy in kindergarten his teacher told him “if you do that again, your name is MUD!” It hurt him deeply and had a long lasting effect on him. (This may not apply but I was thinking about the effect of words), so it’s like we want to be able to discern these words as some are driven by anger without thoughtfulness, and wether they are loving words or not. My dad‘s pet name for me was putsy pie. I liked it because I knew it was with affection. My sister was called gi-gi
gur-gur, maybe after her expressions as a baby. One brother was bang bang or, if dad was in a fun mood~ da bing bing-
da bang bang - da bong bong ! (Bret may have like to drum with his hands or rock back-and-forth) Dad had a fun and endearing name for all of us. As a growing child, I identified with a movie Heidi because it was about a girl in the mountains with her grandpa. I love the mountains, nature and love remembering and talking about my grandparents. ~~Roots~~. When thinking about a symbol for ourselves, think on what traits you have, your inner self, your personality, look into your heart. For me, it would be something, childlike, delicate, transparent, but strong. If not somewhat thick, I could be easily pierced by thoughtless words, touch or abuse. Needing ability to dissect words thrown to me, choosing which to hold onto and which to let go of. ( A crab? I also walk sideways at times) My color would be a transparent pink. I see a delicate, but long, lasting orchid, with soft color, getting deeper at its center. If you were to paint me , you would definitely use watercolors. Only an experienced painter knows how, as watercolors are transparent, and cannot be painted over it unless you expect the original color to change, which then can appear murky. The part about Brad and the monarch butterfly gave me chills. When my dad died, there was a white dove, which landed itself on a bush in our front yard. It stayed throughout the day watching the kids play. It’s hard to compare my dad to a white dove, but like you said with Brad, there are reasons. Rose is the best descriptive word for your mom! A beautiful bud with many layers, that open up to dance in the breeze! I love this story, Stephanie, and all your stories. I could write an essay in the comments to each one, because they bring fun, discovery, and thinking! Im still think on your symbol and right I am think about a Rock! Solid. Is it sedimentary, metamorphic? volcanic? Well, this is how diamonds and gemstones are formed!
Oh my gosh you win for such a thoughtful comment. I love every single example. Words do matter! How we tell them to others matters too. You make a good point that we don’t place our identity on these objects. It’s such a fun practice to find the traits we like about this. And maybe we identify with a new object as we grow older and wiser! Ooh I like being some solid rock or gem! I need to think on yours. We will come up with it when we see each other next week!
Hey Stephanie, so sorry to hear this loss happened in your family. It must've been such an awful time for your sister and everyone else close to Brad. Thank you for sharing.
I like this prompt, and thought I'd tell you that we all have spirit animals in our household. None of them is especially flattering to the outsider, but to us these names are endearing! My elder daughter proudly owns 'Piggy' while my younger one is 'Moo'. I'm not telling you mine as I fear it might colour your perception of online me!
wonderful stories in your article. A monarch became one of my Laura signs after one landed on her name printed on my t-shirt that I made for a fundraiser I i organized for the disease that took her life. A Penny is also one of my signs. thanks for reminding me!
I am so glad I wrote something that reminded you of Laura! There is something so majestic about the monarch butterfly the more I thought about it as I was writing. Thank you for commenting! Also, I need to hear why the penny is your sign! This is intriguing
I forgot to say how sorry I am for your sister’s and your’s and for families loss. As far as the penny-I have been meaning to write about it- this might just be my next post!! sorry- no spoilers now! 🦋
This brought up so many emotions for me Stephanie, thank you for sharing these stories and for the wonderful prompts at the end! It's definitely going to give me something to think about over the weekend 💜
I’m so glad the prompts resonate with you! I started doing it with my friends. It was a nice excuse to text a few of them I haven’t kept up with in awhile.
Hawk 🦅 bc fierce, self-sufficient and feral. Also, a bit awks... x
I love it! My zodiac sign is Taurus and that’s associated with a bull which I feel is sort of fitting (strong willed) but I don’t want to be a bull! A friend told me hummingbird, small, vibrant, don’t fuck with them... haha I like that one better.
This is such a beautiful post... my heart ached reading the experience your sister went through. In the UK pill bugs are called woodlouse... I think they are the same anyway from your description... my brother loved them and used to make them pets when we were a kid! I still think of him every time I see one!
I adore that idea from the school... how beautiful. The Robin has always been a symbol and sign for me... I dreamt of it the night my Nanna passed away! I’m going to contemplate some more. Thank you xxx
Oh yes, I think I remember it is also called woodlice so that makes sense! A robin is a good symbol! I have found a lot of people resonate with creatures that fly. There’s something about going upward, flying, or being set free. It’s also interesting we see so many symbols and signs when it comes to our loved ones who have passed on.
This is beautiful post and my heart goes out to your sister for her devastating loss. ❤️ I too look for symbols in nature and tend to look up any critter I see to find out what the message from the universe might be. Right now I'm seeing a lot of monarchs, lizards, and spiders. I love that your son is a pill bug or a potato bug is what we called them when I was a kid. Back then, my mom told me to never kill spiders because they mean "money is coming." There are tons of webs outside out house right now with big spiders lingering in the center, waiting for Postmates. I just say hello when I walk past and thank them for the bags of money that are sure to come my way. Seriously though, every time I've seen a big spider in the house, without a fail, a check usually arrives in the mail. So I believe! In terms of what my spirit animal is, it's definitely the Roseate Spoonbill. When you see a picture of this kooky bird, you will understand why.
Hahaha oh my gosh I just googled it! It’s so good. That is one fascinating bird! I found a tarantula in my kitchen a few years ago and considered burning my house down after that. We let it free. How come I didn’t win the lottery after that?!?!
😂 Oh wow. A tarantula!! Are you sure no money showed up afterwards? Not even $20 in a pocket you forgot about? Maybe tarantulas are the exception to the rule because if I ever saw one in my house, I would definitely need to be sedated. I'm glad you set it free. That has to be good karma. The Rosette Spoonbill is the Iris Apfel of birds in my book. I just love how colorful and kooky they look.
I probably don’t remember. I mean, we have more money than we did that year so maybe it was a bigger-picture-financially-spider?! Hahaha
I love this is so much! I would tell you the symbol or sign I think of when I think of you, but I’m too busy crying!
I’m dying to know what symbol you think of for me!
Such a gorgeous post, Stephanie! Thank you for the prompts! 🌱
I’m glad you liked the prompts! Thanks for coming to comment!
What a wonderful article, thank you. Over the last few days a black, red and Orange butterfly landed on my husbands shirt as he sat in the garden. I’ve always thought this is his father coming back to say hello, and sadly more recently, having lost our niece too, this butterfly showed to around her anniversary. It felt comforting.
Thanks to Kylie-Ann @Distracted for pointing me to this post.
Thank you for coming here to comment and read! There is something about butterflies! Or beings that fly that are so beautiful and allow us to think of those special people we want to remember.
How beautiful Steph! 🤍
Thank you, Lysette!
I LOVE this post! I didn't know about the practice of assigning symbols to children. I think that's wonderful! What a beautiful teaching on relationality and looking for connections.
I was wondering if this is a universal practice at all Waldorf preschools? My son goes to another Waldorf school and he was given a symbol after 1 meeting. Anyway, I’m glad I experienced the thoughtfulness of the symbol at his previous school
Me too! That seemed like such an important part of it, that the teacher really got to know the student first. I suppose the teacher who gives the symbol after one meeting might be super empathic and knows the child just as well. 🤷♀️
I'm sorry to read about your family's loss. This was a beautiful post.
Thank you Jenna, for reading and taking the time to send a comment
I love the many characteristics of the chamomile flower and pill bug! For Catalina, she has delicacy and strength with a calm surface and strong inner self! Jack is gentle and strong, like his papa, will roll along with all activities yet for him, he will curl up into himself for a bit until he feels safe, then stretch out when he’s ready to test the waters before jumping in! I see their teacher puts a lot of thought into this. It’s beautiful. It’s not like we can place our very identity by these abjectives and nouns, but given with love, it’s fun to think about. After my husband had moved to a new school as an active kid, who now covered his insecurities with behavior, his teacher called him a grasshopper. But it wasn’t with love. She said it as an insult because she didn’t know how to handle him. She said you look like a grasshopper You smell like a grasshopper, and you are a grasshopper! he replied, you look like a —-, you smell like a — and you are a —-! It was a naughty word, and he got in trouble for it. Since that day school had changed for him. Our son Jeremy in kindergarten his teacher told him “if you do that again, your name is MUD!” It hurt him deeply and had a long lasting effect on him. (This may not apply but I was thinking about the effect of words), so it’s like we want to be able to discern these words as some are driven by anger without thoughtfulness, and wether they are loving words or not. My dad‘s pet name for me was putsy pie. I liked it because I knew it was with affection. My sister was called gi-gi
gur-gur, maybe after her expressions as a baby. One brother was bang bang or, if dad was in a fun mood~ da bing bing-
da bang bang - da bong bong ! (Bret may have like to drum with his hands or rock back-and-forth) Dad had a fun and endearing name for all of us. As a growing child, I identified with a movie Heidi because it was about a girl in the mountains with her grandpa. I love the mountains, nature and love remembering and talking about my grandparents. ~~Roots~~. When thinking about a symbol for ourselves, think on what traits you have, your inner self, your personality, look into your heart. For me, it would be something, childlike, delicate, transparent, but strong. If not somewhat thick, I could be easily pierced by thoughtless words, touch or abuse. Needing ability to dissect words thrown to me, choosing which to hold onto and which to let go of. ( A crab? I also walk sideways at times) My color would be a transparent pink. I see a delicate, but long, lasting orchid, with soft color, getting deeper at its center. If you were to paint me , you would definitely use watercolors. Only an experienced painter knows how, as watercolors are transparent, and cannot be painted over it unless you expect the original color to change, which then can appear murky. The part about Brad and the monarch butterfly gave me chills. When my dad died, there was a white dove, which landed itself on a bush in our front yard. It stayed throughout the day watching the kids play. It’s hard to compare my dad to a white dove, but like you said with Brad, there are reasons. Rose is the best descriptive word for your mom! A beautiful bud with many layers, that open up to dance in the breeze! I love this story, Stephanie, and all your stories. I could write an essay in the comments to each one, because they bring fun, discovery, and thinking! Im still think on your symbol and right I am think about a Rock! Solid. Is it sedimentary, metamorphic? volcanic? Well, this is how diamonds and gemstones are formed!
Oh my gosh you win for such a thoughtful comment. I love every single example. Words do matter! How we tell them to others matters too. You make a good point that we don’t place our identity on these objects. It’s such a fun practice to find the traits we like about this. And maybe we identify with a new object as we grow older and wiser! Ooh I like being some solid rock or gem! I need to think on yours. We will come up with it when we see each other next week!
Hey Stephanie, so sorry to hear this loss happened in your family. It must've been such an awful time for your sister and everyone else close to Brad. Thank you for sharing.
I like this prompt, and thought I'd tell you that we all have spirit animals in our household. None of them is especially flattering to the outsider, but to us these names are endearing! My elder daughter proudly owns 'Piggy' while my younger one is 'Moo'. I'm not telling you mine as I fear it might colour your perception of online me!
Loving others' comments on this as well.
Thank you, Lindsay! I’m so thankful my sister found a lot of support. I didn’t realize there is an amazing community of widows!
Piggy and Moo are so endearing! You can’t tease me with yours and not give it to me! You should include it in your pen pal letter!
Haha! Excellent plan! Eagerly awaiting yours arriving soon!
wonderful stories in your article. A monarch became one of my Laura signs after one landed on her name printed on my t-shirt that I made for a fundraiser I i organized for the disease that took her life. A Penny is also one of my signs. thanks for reminding me!
I am so glad I wrote something that reminded you of Laura! There is something so majestic about the monarch butterfly the more I thought about it as I was writing. Thank you for commenting! Also, I need to hear why the penny is your sign! This is intriguing
I forgot to say how sorry I am for your sister’s and your’s and for families loss. As far as the penny-I have been meaning to write about it- this might just be my next post!! sorry- no spoilers now! 🦋
❤️ I can’t wait to read it!
This brought up so many emotions for me Stephanie, thank you for sharing these stories and for the wonderful prompts at the end! It's definitely going to give me something to think about over the weekend 💜
I’m so glad the prompts resonate with you! I started doing it with my friends. It was a nice excuse to text a few of them I haven’t kept up with in awhile.