Last night, I was in my office when Kitty (my dog) started barking from the living room. I told her to hush. When the barking/growl changed tone I went to investigate and walked in on my dog in a staring match with a Barred Owl!

The owl and the dog were staring right at each other through the living room window.

I froze, stopped breathing, just like I always do when I see an owl. My body – breath, heart, hairs on my skin – seems to know it’s in the presence of something from another realm – a benevolent, majestic, otherworldly creature.

Kitty knows too, maybe, because we have turkeys looking in our windows every darn day and she’s never once barked or paid them any attention.

An owl though – that’s something! And looking into our house, looking right at us!

A guardian, my friend Heidi called it when I told her.

Friends, maybe if an owl sat looking into your window (for a good 5 minutes or so) you would think it was cool, but that’s it.

When an owl sits looking at me, I hear a message:

Yes, madmen and wars seem to be consuming the earth.

But remember that the ancestors, angels, spirit guides have seen madmen come and go. For ages, we’ve had to welcome innocent children killed by bombs, bullets and bayonets into our midst.

We see you humans spending your short lives doing all manner of foolish, desperate, cruel things. We see you do beautiful things too.

Sometimes we shake our heads, sometimes we glow with warmth and sometimes you break our hearts.

You humans are never alone.

There’s a vast web of loved ones loving you and caring about you from both sides of the veil.

Be a part of that love as much as possible while you are on earth. Then join us here on the other side when your time comes.