Are you the kind of person who sees “signs” in random places?  I’m usually not–maybe it’s my Taurus nature, but I find that looking for and interpreting signs can easily become a) an anxiety-provoking exercise in how inaccurate future-prediction can be and b) a full-time job.

Except in my garden, where looking for signs is part of the process of keeping plants properly lit, warmed, watered, pruned, and, in the case of veggies, harvested.

Those are all logistical survival “signs,” though, and my garden is rich with signs of the more spiritual variety.  The most meaningful plant I have is a climbing rose, beautifully named “New Dawn.”  It lives next to our front porch, and every year when it blooms, I remember the day when I planted it with my good friend Mike in the spring of 2003, when my husband Rob was deployed with the Army to the Middle East, and for whatever reason, our main morning activity one day was to plant that New Dawn.  Every year, I give thanks that I can admire it with Rob safely and soundly by my side.

So here’s the “sign” part.  As you know, we’re selling our condo and moving to another house here in town.  The condo went on the market today, in fact.  And guess what is the first thing prospective buyers will see as they climb the stairs to take a look?

New Dawn.  Budding and about to bloom. 

Are there two more perfect words than “New Dawn” to capture the best part of moving to a new home?  If this isn’t a good sign, I don’t know what is.