lady bird

I believe in signs. Some people look to religion to answer their questions, but I look for a nod from the universe that I’m pointed in the right direction.

Earlier this year, I attended the annual Model U.N. conference that happens at UGA. In the middle of a committee session, I received a call from my mom telling me our dog, Duke, was going to be put down. When it finally came time to go home, I sat in the car when the song “Lonesome Love” came on. It was the first time I had ever heard it, but the melancholy lyrics that rang through the speakers resonated with me heavily. While I didn’t know it then, that song would be the only thing I would listen to as I dealt with Duke’s passing.

Fast forward to the summer. My friends and I were staying in a cottage in Asheville, North Carolina. We were all in the car driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway. On shuffle, “Lonesome Love” came on, and it was the first time I heard it since my mourning period. This night recontextualized the entire song for me. The last time I heard it, I had entered a phase where I was dealing with the bittersweetness of life and grieving, but on this night, I was the happiest I’d ever been since Duke’s passing. This song was a sign a new chapter was beginning.

“Lonesome Love” has become a recurring theme in my life. It has made a habit of coming on when a phase of life is closing or starting again, and I’m sure it will play many more times as I get older. To me, it feels like a signal from the universe that I’m on the right path, and life goes on.