A Heart with Wings

Here’s an interesting synchro tale about a symbol of spiritual ascension. It was written by Patricia Gibson, director of the Epilepsy Information Service at Wake Forest School of Medicine. It appeared as a guest column in the Winston-Salem Journal of North Carolina on January 13.
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Synchronicity has been described as the coincidence of a thought with an outside event. Many of us have had these moments that surprise us and make us wonder. Some of these moments we forget, while others keep resurfacing, causing us to ponder on the mysteries of life.

Last August, I was leaving a local restaurant with my sister when we decided to stop by a craft store next door to look around. We passed some beautiful molded art squares hanging on the wall; one depicted a heart with wings.

“I have always loved that symbol — a heart with wings,” my sister said, almost to herself. “Do you remember that pillow you made me one Christmas when I was 14?”

“Oh, yeah, the purple heart with the red wings,” I said, surprised that it was that same symbol. She had seen a picture of the pillow in a teen magazine and thought it was so cool. I later cut it out and went to a fabric shop looking for purple and red satin. Pretty tacky, I had thought, but then surprised myself by coming up with a fairly good replica of the pillow. I smiled, remembering how excited she had been when she opened the present.

“What does that symbol mean?” I asked.

“It means a spiritual ascension, evolving to a higher level,” she said, “To me it just means hope.” I made a mental note to return to the store later and buy that art square for her next birthday.

Two years ago, my sister was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, a deadly sneaky cancer with a high mortality rate. She has won that battle so far, but not without the price of severe nerve damage from the chemotherapy.

As I recently passed the craft store on my way to work, I again thought of the heart with wings and said to myself, “Don’t forget to go get that art piece,” trying to underline this in my brain, forgetful person that I am. I pulled up to the stoplight at Five Points and sat idling behind a truck, waiting for the light to change. As I sat staring absentmindedly ahead, it suddenly hit me that there in front of my eyes, hanging on the back of the truck, was a beautifully hand-carved heart with wings. I could not believe it.

The light changed and the truck turned right and so did I. The truck turned right into a lot and parked. A man got out and headed toward the building. I jumped out, running behind him.

“Sir, excuse me, sir,” I called. He turned and I explained that I had seen his sign and wondered where he bought it. “It is so beautiful, and I want one for my sister, that symbol means so much to her.”

He explained that he had carved it himself, but he was having some medical problems now and couldn’t do that work at this time. I gave him my card and asked, should he ever be interested in selling the heart with wings, to please let me know.

I never heard from him, though I would think of him from time to time and wonder if he might have lost my card, something I would likely do. I regretted that I had not gotten his name and number.

On Dec. 21, a particularly discouraging day, I unlocked my office door, tossed my coat on the nearby chair, looked at my overflowing desk with a sigh, and then did a double take. To my utter amazement, there amid the stacks of paper lay the beautiful hand-carved heart with wings. Attached was a note that said, “Happy Holidays — May your spirit soar and that of your loved ones always soar,” and just below that, “free.”

I ran to my coworkers, but they could offer no information. I went to the security guard at the front desk.

“Mary, tell me, there was something left in my office.” Her eyes told me she knew something.

“I can’t say,” she said, and looked away. “I promised not to tell anything.”

“You don’t understand,” I said, “this is just a miracle.” But she wasn’t budging.

The power of a simple act of kindness is impressive. I wanted so to thank that man for his generosity and kindness. And I so hoped and prayed that whatever medical problem he was having was better. So, sir, all I can do is write this to say thank you and to say that people like you give me hope for our world. May your spirit also soar.