No doubt many of us have heard the saying ‘a little bird told me.’ However, the story I’m about to relate has little to do with birds. I had just finished university and like many young married couples, our finances were rather meagre. We rented for a number of years and then decided to make a start on a new home. We hired a local builder and decided to complete enough to eventually move in. Among our early furniture was a chrome rocking chair that was kind of an heirloom. It found its own spot in the living room and my wife used it when learning to knit or crochet.

On this particular occasion we had friends visiting. My wife was conversing with her friend, when her friend said, “Have you lost the stone in your ring?”  Well. A quick observation set off a chain of events that saw everyone in a scramble. We all searched high and low, so to speak, and no ring to be found. Needless to say, my wife was stressed to the limit. As things settled a little and our friends left, my wife cried as she washed the dishes.

This is where the story takes an odd twist. While washing the dishes, a voice seemed to be saying to her “Go sit in your rocking chair again.”

She tried to ignore it because in her present temperament she wasn’t capable of producing anything. Still the voice prodded her to move to her rocking chair. Having lost her ring, she felt she would try anything, even something as silly as responding to some crazy voice in her head. Eventually, she said to the voice, “Ok, I’ll go to the chair. What now?”

As she sat there, feeling like a silly fool, she casually looked won at the floor. To her sudden and glorious surprise, there was her stone, sparkling right near to the toe of her shoe. This was a horrible occurrence turning into a joyous occasion!

Needless to say, we readily made a quick trip back to the jewellers to avoid any more shocks to the nervous system. How does one explain such a phenomenon? No doubt we all have our own interpretation. As for me, I wouldn’t want to upset our new friend.

Harold Clarke
Cupids, NL