White Feather

I'll admit it - I've never quite subscribed to the idea that white feathers are signs from above or messages from lost loved ones. With the sheer number of birds flying overhead, it only makes sense that feathers would occasionally fall to the ground. Pigeons and seagulls, which are plentiful in most areas, have an abundance of white feathers, and moulting is a natural part of their cycle.

Although birds typically moult once a year, my own budgie - who sadly passed away a fortnight ago today - seemed to moult almost monthly. As a result of this I've always taken the idea of "heaven-sent" feathers with a healthy dose of scepticism.

Or at least, I did.

This morning, I was particularly busy in the shop with a full slate of floral orders. My workroom was completely cleared - workbench included - to give me the space I needed to create two pillow tributes, several wreaths, and a few sprays. My final design of the day was a bespoke piece: a 3D robin tribute, something I’ve crafted many times before.

To help these bird tributes appear as lifelike as possible, I will use feathers as finishing touches - more as highlights than replacements. For this robin, I had chosen small pheasant feathers, which I planned to spray brown for a more natural effect. Since I was still placing flowers, the feathers remained unopened in their box, sealed from the wholesaler.

While waiting for the paint to dry (and we all know how that goes), I decided to take a short break. I popped into the kitchen for a coffee and treated myself to a plain chocolate digestive from the fridge - yes, chocolate should be kept in the fridge, and yes, plain chocolate always wins.

No one came into the shop during my break - I have a door alarm that would have alerted me, but it never went off.

Back at my desk, I checked a few emails and enjoyed my biscuit before returning to the workbench. I heard a slight rustling behind me, which I assumed was just the plastic flower wrap in the bin settling. But when I approached the tribute I was working on, I was genuinely taken aback.

There, right in the middle of the base I had cleared and cleaned thoroughly, lay a single white feather.

There were no open windows. No fans. No visitors. The shop, workroom, and bench had all been meticulously tidied before I began my work. The feather couldn’t have come from the boxed materials - the only feathers I had were sealed and brown.

I’ve tried to come up with a rational explanation. Perhaps it was caught on my clothing? Maybe it floated in somehow, undetected? But no matter how many possibilities I explore, none quite add up. It’s left me… well, puzzled.

Lately, I’ve been reading more about the paranormal. The more I talk about it - especially through this blog - the more little moments like this seem to be happening. It's also not lost on me that I was creating a Robin, a bird many believe shows up as a sign of visitation from a loved one! 

As for me, I remain someone who looks for logical explanations. But perhaps, just perhaps, something is trying to nudge me to think differently. Only time will tell. For now, I’ll keep my eyes open - and my mind just a little more so.