The other day in the early morning, I was going up the outside steps to the entrance of the building where I live when I saw two deer walking along a nearby nature trail. I watched them for a couple of minutes, and just as I was about to take another step toward the door, another deer came along the path. And a few seconds after that, a fourth deer appeared. I again took in the scene for a few minutes before entering the building.
Life gives us unexpected gifts. Seeing the deer was one of those gifts. I usually see two or three deer a year, which is also special each time I see one, but to see four in the space of a few minutes was a first for me. I felt peaceful seeing them in the quiet morning and also seeing the tall grasses and the lake behind them which added to the peaceful scene. Many of us, including me, have busy lives. In a way, this occurrence gave me a few minutes to have a break from being busy. It also served as a connection to nature which adds to our physical and emotional wellbeing.
In addition, my seeing this scene is an example of a synchronicity—a meaningful acausal experience. Deer are in the traditional stories and mythologies of people around the world, for they live on almost every continent. Some of the aspects they symbolize are compassion, gentleness, vulnerability, awakening, and blessings. If a deer would be in a dream I had, I would ponder these symbolic qualities to try to discern the dream’s message for me. We can do the same with synchronicities. In fact, the entire incident had a dreamlike quality to it.
Becoming more compassionate and gentle people would make our world a better place for all of us. Being aware of our vulnerabilities adds to our self-knowledge and enables us to better approach certain situations. When I think of awakening, I think of spiritual awakening and growing in faith. And acknowledging our blessings from our Creator and being thankful for them are part of living in faith.
Try to notice such unexpected gifts and their possible messages. It is another way to live a more meaningful life.