My job location was out at Fontaine Research Park and the lab that I was in had windows overlooking the parking lot. I was using a standing desk that faced the windows so every once in a while something outside would catch my eye. A few weeks before my father passed, the bird in the photo started showing up. I took it to mean that my father wasn’t long for this world. When the bird showed up for the 3rd time, I knew it was time to go visit my Dad in Pennsylvania. I made my way north and got to spend a little time with him the day before he passed.
One of the more interesting things to happen out the window, and almost in the same picture frame as the blackbird, I saw a bear appear out of the brush. At first I thought it was a large dog but at second glance I realized it was a juvenile bear. It just started moseying along the parking lot. However, someone I knew drove up and parked in a sparsely populated area. She got out and started walking toward the building but was in the direct path of the bear. I tried to wave to her but she didn’t see me and by the time I made it outside to scream would have been too late. Thankfully, she saw the bear and made a move to get away.
That was only the second time I had ever seen a bear. I used to wonder why there were so many statues of bears dotted around Charlottesville but now things make more sense. A few months after I saw the bear in the parking lot, I was heading north to visit my mother for her 90th birthday. I often will take the back roads when going north because it takes the same amount of time but is a more scenic, less stressful drive. About an hour into my drive, just walking in a field, I saw a bear. I briefly stopped just to observe and then was on my way.
Posted by Margaret Ryan
SPIRIT ANIMALS
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