9:14 AM

I was greeted by the most beautiful and peculiar sight as I left my house for school this morning. Perched upon the small crabapple tree outside my front door was a flock of several different kinds of birds. Not your typical sparrows and the like, but several robins, cardinals, and even bluejays (which are not a particularly common bird in Minnesota). I was in awe of the spectacle. What are the odds I would see all of these interesting birds together like this, and right outside my door? Although I was running late already, I stood awhile on my porch in wonder of what I was seeing. 

As I stood there, I couldn't help but think about a dream I'd had just the other night. In it, I was flying. Several people sat in desks, formed in a large circle on the ground below me. I remember rising up into the air, filled with a sense of weightlessness. A feeling of euphoric happiness washed over me as I gently floated, allowing my body to drift freely as I moved through the sky. While I flew, I remember thinking about my students (of course, I do not currently teach students, but this dream-self must have) and laughing out of pure joy. 

From this point on, my dream shifted into other realms of my subconscious, as dreams do. When I awoke, however, this portion of my dream was stuck in my mind so fervently that I immediately grabbed my journal and wrote it all down. Upon reflection, I recalled the various elements: the flying, the joy, the people sitting at desks, thinking about having students of my own. All of these seemed to signify a message to me that teaching could be what gives me my wings; my calling, my purpose. Through teaching, not only will I fly, I will soar. 

Flash forward to this morning. When I eventually left my house and got in my car to embark on my commute, I ruminated on all of these birds I saw and what they meant. I do not believe in coincidence, but rather that everything we experience has a purpose of some sort. The birds, to me, were a sign. Considering the fact that the birds I saw were all primarily springtime birds, I see them as a representation for growth and rebirth. Coupled with the element of flight from my dream, it all seemed to come together; the higher forces around me are urging me toward growth, and toward my purpose. I hear these messages, and I am listening. 

I have no idea what life may have in store for me, but I am comforted by the small reminders I am given by the world around me that no matter where I may be today, I am working toward fulfilling a greater purpose. 

I am growing. I am reborn.