Italian Intuition

It was an unusually warm evening for March when Lauren had a nudge to walk to her favourite used bookstore. She was no stranger to following her intuition and had a feeling there was something special waiting for her there. Little did she know that it would lead her on the journey of her lifetime!

As she grabbed her wallet to head out for the walk, she felt like she had tapped into something greater than her, where life seemed to flow. It was something her father encouraged her to do, while letting go of her expectations. “A wish is a prayer” he would say “so be careful what you wish for. It’s all energy. The universe speaks in energy.” He taught her that when she followed the divine path of intuition, from a place of love, she couldn’t plan it better if she tried. She believed in conscious creation but knew the universe was the best creator of all and that our higher selves know better than our egos, if we could only just trust that. She had mostly made peace with this and welcomed the lessons and growth in whatever way they came. “Miracles are real” she thought, “and those who don’t believe must be too busy or too unconscious to notice the miracles that happen around, and within us every single day.”

Bursting with gratitude for life, she gave her sweet cat a kiss and said she’d be back soon with new treasures to explore. Along the way, she saw vividly colourful butterflies and encountered strangers with a smile. One lady stopped her, clearly wanting to chat. She started by saying, “it’s a beautiful evening, wouldn’t you say, dear?”

Lauren had shivers run down her spine, knowing this was no chance encounter and a lesson to be learned. She slowed her pace as she replied with a smile, “it truly is!”

The lady smiled widely and went on, “it reminds me of when I was young and lived in Italy. It’s where I met my late husband. Have you been to Italy yet?“

“No, I haven’t but would love to! My father was born there and I have heard there are many wonderful bookstores!”

The lady smiled and said “ There most certainly are! And also many men with strong intuition”, she continued with a chuckle. “I thought I saw you at Rays of Light Books before. Now dear, trust your intuition and find your way to Italy. You won’t be disappointed that you did!” Lauren promised she would one day, wished the lady well and said she hopes their paths cross again.

The lady smiled again, or perhaps it was the same smile that widened, as she said “I’m sure they will.“

Lauren felt refreshed knowing she found a treasure in this lady along her way! “Hello Lauren, beautiful day to read a book!” She smiled at the friendly face as she entered the store.

“It sure is, Ray!” she knew the store owner understood her better than most and for that she was eternally grateful.

“You might be interested in looking through these two piles that a regular customer of over 35 years just brought in. A donation!” Ray exclaimed. “She didn’t want a cent for any of it!” Lauren started to walk toward the piles and somehow knew it was the lady she had just encountered. “She said someone needs these now more than I do. Use the money as a donation to treat your beloved wife to dinner.” As he finished, a black leather book on top of one pile caught Lauren’s eye. It was hand labelled with a white sticker and small gold lettering “Italy”. Her eyes scanned down and saw there were also a few books about intuition and spiritual laws. Lauren felt a magnet being drawn to the books. As she picked up the little black book, she felt a shock of energy run through her again, knowing her life was about to be changed forever.

She gently moved aside the black elastic holding the book together and opened the cover. She saw the simple words “Moleskine. Made in Italy. 1997.” Along with a name, Hope, handwritten in Gold. There was a receipt placed inside for the book from a store in Italy and in that moment, Lauren somehow felt like she was travelling beyond time and space. She stroked her fingers across the Italian leather cover and took a moment to inhale the scent. “Something about the smell of genuine leather can’t be beat”, she thought to herself. She noticed how the writing in pencil had faded slightly, yet the pen marks were still bold on the pages. Lauren knew these notebooks well and that 1997 was the year they began! She was holding one of the first Moleskine notebooks! She opened it to the page where the black ribbon bookmark lay and there was a list of places visited in, you name it, Italy. The next page, a list of bookstores! Next page? Bed and breakfasts and cafes in smaller towns, along with notes of what she visited each day. A few pages later there was different handwriting and she knew it had to be Hope’s husband’s! This must have been a return visit they took together! The final pages were empty...

Signs and synchronicities made Lauren’s heart and soul sing. She believed in the interconnectedness of the world and had never believed in coincidences. As her father would often quote “no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”

How could this not be a sign? She told Ray she’d take all the books and was so excited to get home and find out what wisdom she was yet to uncover. There were books about Italy, spiritual laws, energy and intuition (one of Lauren’s favourite topics to explore), science, a book on cats, and a couple of novels. She asked Ray if she could contact Hope somehow and he said she stopped by often but he was unsure where she lived. Lauren decided she would drop back with a card.

When she got home, the first thing Lauren did was go to her computer to book a trip to Italy. She was following her intuition and whatever this wave was that she seemed to be riding. There were seat sales for the following month. When she paused to consider if she could really afford it... the time, the money... she decided she couldn’t afford not to! And by doing so, she acknowledged to the universe that she trusts.

She went and got a cup of tea and grabbed the little black book. Shivers again went down her spine and ran throughout her body to the tips of her fingers and toes. This time she remembered that Moleskine notebooks always have a pocket, so she reached in, only to discover a cheque with a post-it note attached. “To the new owner of this book, please accept this as a gift. My time is limited as I am now 93 years old. I met my dear, late husband in Italy and hope this will help you travel there or wherever your heart longs to go. The empty pages are waiting to be filled by you.” Tears streamed down Lauren’s face as she peeled the note off the cheque... twenty thousand dollars! She cried out “thank you universe!” Lauren believed in the law of prosperity and knew in her heart Hope did too! She had found a soulmate in this 93 year old woman. A connection that ran deeper than physical words could describe. She felt energized and in awe of what had just happened and the magic she felt from this little black book and her day. The lady’s address wasn’t on the cheque, but her full name was. Hope Esposito. “Could it get any better than this?!” she exclaimed to her cat!

She wrote to Hope with her contact information and dropped it to Ray the next morning. She didn’t have the words to express her gratitude but somehow knew Hope already sensed it. She thought Hope was likely expecting to hear from her specifically. And she was. Hope called later that day and it was like they had known each other for a thousand lifetimes, despite the 60 year age difference. It turned out that Lauren shared a birthday with her late husband who was 20 years older than Hope. Or precisely 20 years, two months and two days! It was clear they shared a love that went beyond this world. Hope never had kids and had more money than she knew what to do with, despite her admirable list of charity donations. She felt prosperous and commented that by feeling this way, she always was. It seemed to be the law of prosperity working at its finest.

Hope wanted to share that love and joy with others, so her own well never ran dry. She had noticed Lauren at the bookstore before and said she reminded her of herself at a younger age. She had pictured this little black book finding its way to Lauren and had the nudge from the universe to include this little gift. When she woke this morning, she knew today was the day to drop it off. She knew when she saw Lauren on her way home that the divine was certainly at work and that they were both on the right path. They agreed to meet for tea the next day, and Lauren never felt so filled with love and gratitude toward life. She was excited for every day that was yet to unfold. Hope reminded Lauren to fully accept that it’s better to release and allow. Follow the signs from the universe to your true destiny.

Lauren realized as much as her ego tries to decide how life should be written, she couldn’t have written it better if she had tried! Going forward she vowed to follow her heart knowing it was her best teacher! One month later, Lauren met Fernando in a small bookstore in Italy. They went for a dinner that evening and never looked back. Hope was the first person she contacted to let her know and thank her for being an angel. Lauren believed in miracles, and knew that the universe wanted to have our backs, especially when we step out of the way and let it, following our intuition from a place of love.

When she returned, she couldn’t help but go back to an old journal. She read her wishes from the past, remembering her father’s words. She pondered her lifelong question of how much of this experience she wrote with her wishes, versus how much was already written in the stars. Did she create it all, or tap into the divine plan and see into the future, following the path to get there? Fernando was fabulous! Did she create him or intuit him? Both? She again in this moment decided she didn’t want to create much. She wanted to trust the divine and follow her intuitions.

She grabbed her pen... “I followed my heart to her here. I tapped into divine desires” she wrote in her new black book she had purchased in Italy, along with a matching one for Hope. “Create from a place of love for the greater good. Always remember to be careful with the story we tell ourselves and especially that which we commit to paper. It is all energy. The universe is always listening and ready to play along. If we ask and believe, we shall receive... so let’s be mindful to ask for what is best for the greater good. Please let me be a light to the world with what I continue to receive.” Lauren decided to donate half the money to one of her favourite charities to continue to help empower women.

Knowing the next chapter of her story had just begun, thanks to Hope, Italian intuition, and a little black book.