Opportunity Knocking

Yesterday the kids and I discovered a woodpecker in our screened-in porch. It's as if it appeared out of thin air as we hardly use that porch and thus the doors remain closed most of the time and one of us would have noticed it piggybacking its way in. But there it was. Fisher of course wanted to keep it. When he understood that couldn't be so we opened the doors to offer it an escape and then we stood in the house, pressed to the glass slider, and watched. It wouldn't budge so we let it be and came back later to find it gone. The doors remain open even now. Maybe I read too much into things, maybe I look too hard--but I started to wonder why a woodpecker and not a sparrow or swallow or any other bird. Maybe it's a kind of sign from the universe. And because I not only have what some may view as odd notions, but also odd habits, I googled "woodpecker spirit meaning". Did you know that Native American Shamans believe animals are like guides that offer us insight and impart messages? There are loads of sites and books that detail the meanings behind animals, so whenever I come across an animal that seems out of place I look them up on one of these sites out of pure curiosity--another way to shine light on an experience and draw connections because as a writer that's what I like to do. Here's what was said about the woodpecker: "it is signaling you that great changes are happening in your life and it is up to you to seize the moment. Whether it is the renewal of an old project, the finishing of a new project or simply a serendipitous meeting with someone in your life. Whatever way you perceive it know that the door is wide open for you right now." Some other words attached to its meaning were: increase of activities, progress, attention, opportunity, determination, listening, communication. Maybe it is true...I'll go with that.