“Don’t be surprised at how quickly the Universe will move with you once you have made your choice.”

That message was recently given to me by a friend. I was rather out of sorts at the time; I had run across an image of four snowmen in stocking caps, and it so closely resembled one of Faith’s cherished Christmas decorations that I was immediately reduced to tears. Yes, it is the season of triggers, those little things that revive memories of past holidays: bittersweet memories, happy times enveloped in the sadness of loss. Triggers are inevitable in this season of celebration when you are grieving, and I know there will be more than one unexpected wave of sadness in the coming days.

On this occasion the sadness was magnified when I chose to turn on a Hallmark Christmas movie. In years past, Faith and I would tape each movie as it premiered, spending our evenings and weekends indulging in these sweet, predictable stories. This particular movie was named for and based on a song by country music artist Scotty McCreery: “Five More Minutes”. In the movie, the main character had recently lost her grandfather, and she wished for five more minutes to spend with him. Of course, as Hallmark movies go, her wish was granted; although not necessarily in the fashion she had anticipated.

By the end of the movie I was once again in tears. Hallmark is nothing if not the master of evoking emotion! This grief was sweeter, though, if such can be said. I was reminded of happy times that, even as I yearned for them, I could remember with fondness rather than a sense of deep loneliness and loss. And yes, I wished for my own five more minutes.

I was still out of sorts the next morning, and not in touch with my core of joy. That’s when I received the message about making a choice. Thank you, my friend!

Making a positive choice is a conscious act, not something that just happens. Each morning when I wake I can choose who I will be today. Will I be self-centered, disconnected, angry at the world and my circumstances? Or will I choose to be centered, joyful, grateful, and connected to Spirit? When we do not make a conscious positive choice we may in fact be unconsciously choosing to disconnect.

On that particular morning, I chose connection. I felt my spirits lifting, I felt myself vibrating at a higher frequency, connected once more to Spirit. And as I was making note of my choices, my phone pinged, delivering my daily Osho Zen card. Osho Zen is an oracle deck that Faith and I found not long before our ceremony of commitment all those years ago. We didn’t use it to forecast the future, but rather consulted the deck for insight into situations or life in general.

The card that my phone delivered? It was the same card that Faith and I drew four consecutive times in the weeks leading up to our ceremony of commitment. It was the card that we placed on the altar at our ceremony: The Lovers. Faith was reminding me that she is present with me always.

And the Universe moved with me.

And so today I choose. I choose to live, to be centered. I choose to be joyful even in the midst of grieving. I choose to give time to the sadness when it arises, but to continue moving forward in love and compassion. I choose to remain in touch with that core of joy that resides deep within. I choose to remember that I am Spirit in the flesh. I choose to be my best self. I choose ME.

What do you choose today?