The Wardrobe’s Best Dressed: Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors by Diana Raab

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Content Warning: mention of suicide

                               Cancer, Quarantine,
                                     and Intuition

    Intuition doesn’t tell you what you want to hear; it tells you
    what you need to hear. 
                                                                                   ~ Sonia Choquette 

   I’ve   heard   that    children  are  born  with  strong  intuitive
instincts and that at ages three  to  five  a  child  is   fully  open
and    naturally   intuitive.   World-renowned   psychic    Sonia
Choquette   says   in   her   book,  The  Wise Child (1999), that
children   experience   spontaneous   intuitive   messages more
readily than do adults,  and  it’s important  that  parents listen
to  them.  In fact,  many in spiritual circles believe  that young
children   are   more   intuitive  and  open   to   the  otherworld
because  they   are   the  most  recent  arrivals  to  Earth. Having
intuition   helps   us   observe    and     detect    other    people’s
behavior   so   that   we  can  respond  accordingly  and  appro-
priately.    Those   who     have    experienced    early-childhood
trauma  tend   to be even  more  intuitive because they need to
be  aware   of    everything   happening   in  the  world  around
them to stay safe.
   Unfortunately,   many  times  children  aren’t  encouraged to
follow their intuition,  and, over  time,  many  lose  this innate
sense.   Encouraging   the    development  of   intuitive  powers
means  allowing the  child  a  lot  of  time   for   imaginary  and
solitary  play.  As   an only  child   with  very   few  after-school
activities,  especially before    the  age  of  ten,  I  had  plenty of
time  to  develop my intuitive powers.  Intuition is  also  based
on  our  experiences—what  we’ve  inherited  from our   ances-
tors  as  well  as  the  emotions  we  encounter  now in  various
situations.   When  we   lose   our   intuitive   instinct,   rational
thought takes over.
   Intuition   works    more     quickly   than   rational   thought.
Decisions   made  with   rational   thinking  usually take longer
because  we  need  to  evaluate  various  scenarios before mak-
ing   a   decision.  Most   often intuition  and   rationality  work
together,  but   some  individuals  lean   more in one  direction
than another.
   I   believe   my   grandmother and I   survived the  challenges
of our   childhoods   and dealing   with     mothers   who   didn’t
cherish   us   by   relying  on   and honing our instincts.   I  also
believe  that   we   all tend to   trust   our   instincts  more   and
more   as   we   age.  I noticed   this  during the recent  years of
uncertainty  around the time of   the    coronavirus  pandemic.
As   a     result   of   the  mixed   messages  we    received   from
authorities  and  the   universe-at-large about  the  disease,  its
course of infection, and  vaccination  programs,  we    all    had
more     questions      than   answers.   With       scant   concrete
knowledge,    facts,   and  experiences   to pull   from,  much of
our survival depended on our    ability to   tap   into our   inner
wisdom. This   wisdom  or   instinct is like a     hunch   we    get
about   a   person   or a situation.   It’s  a   gut   feeling    that  is
sometimes        called   clairsentience—or    “clear    sensation,”
referring  to an  energy  that is felt in our body in  response  to
our environment, whether it  comes from   people,  situations,
places,   or other realms. Children might   have a difficult time
explaining   this feeling.   They might   simply say   they   don’t
feel   well;   they have   a tummy   ache or   backache.   Or  they
become    tired    or      nervous.  Personally,  I   just  remember
having  this  deeper  knowing  when  things  felt  a  little weird
around me.
   When  we  focus  on   listening   to   our     inner   voice,     we
become more  empathetic and hypersensitive.  I   believe   this
is   what   saved    Grandma   during   her   turbulent,  wartime
childhood   and     being   unwanted   and   then   orphaned.  It
wasn’t until I read her journal, which   I   will   share   excerpts
from   later,   that   I realized how traumatized  she was by  her
difficult childhood.   On a   personal level,   my   inner voice  is
what enabled   me to   survive   life   being   born  to  a  mother
who   told   her husband  that she preferred a parakeet instead
of a child. All this has given  me fodder   for   so   many  stories
to tell.
   Writing   and   telling  our   own   stories  and  sharing   with
others   help   us   gain  perspective   on   our   experiences and
navigate   our   own journey.  Stories   also   unite us  and   can
resonate  at both  personal   and universal   levels.   That’s one
of   the  many   reasons why people love  reading  and  hearing
them.
   While   I love   my   writing   studio,   it’s   often  inspiring   to
write   in  different locations,  whether it’s a  local  coffee shop,
bookstore,   park,   or   faraway    place.   A  few   times,  I  have
ventured  off to Maui  for a  personal  writer’s  retreat and had
magical experiences.

                                                ***

   During    that    trip   in   Maui, I  spent   a few full days alone
with the  shaman. At  the end of each   day, that   tall,    robust,
and   jovial   woman   full of  positive energy   hugged me good
bye  and   said, “Let’s  meet    again   tomorrow to talk story.” I
believe the reason I   love  Hawaii   so    much  is   its   people’s
wonderful   energy   and   the    importance   of   story  in  their
culture.   There’s   something  heartwarming about connecting
and   passing     time   together    chitchatting   and   rekindling
memories.    Ancient       Hawaiians     expressed      themselves
through   storytelling, which is   known     as   the  tradition   of
mo‘olelo.   This   is  basically the telling of   stories  transferred
orally     from one  generation  to the   next. Mo‘olelo is also an
opportunity      for     people     to   channel      their   ancestors.
According   to   Foor   in Ancestral   Medicine (2017), “We   are
bonded   with   the  ancestors as  life to death, light to shadow.
The choice is not whether or  not to  be  in   relationship   with
them,    but   whether   or     not   these    relationships   will  be
conscious or reciprocal” (p. 57).
   The     process    is    similar to   what I’ve   been   doing   with
Grandma   through  the hummingbird  as  a messenger. There
are   other  ways as well in which  the  departed might visit us.
When   I’ve  discussed   connecting   with  our ancestors in my
writing   workshops,  some of   my students   have said that,  if
they    pay   attention,   they   get   messages   in   all   kinds   of
forms—from  butterflies,   wild  animals,  rainbows, and found
feathers or   coins to pictures,   slogans,   billboards,  a  certain
piece   of   music,   a     particular     numerical     sequence,   or
electrical   interferences  such flashing  lights  or  a  cell phone
ringing.
   While   I’ve   experienced some  of these occurrences  during
the  course  of  my life,  for  me, there’s something  even  more
powerful when a  hummingbird  visits. I feel a renewed  sense
of   hope   and     ability to  see    life’s   larger   picture.    These
creatures  also have  a  calming  influence  on   me,  telling  me
that    everything happens  for   a  reason and  that  everything
will be okay.
   Having    hope   is  so   important,  especially   when   dealing
with     challenging   times    of   all   sorts,  including   tragedy,
illness,    the  possibility of  death,  or  even  living    through  a
pandemic.  The  stories  of loved  ones  can  help  us when   we
listen  to   them. My  parents were  both   immigrants  and had
so   many    stories    to    share,    but   also,   much   has    been
transferred down to me by the ancestral line.



Reflections / Writing Prompts

Describe an experience in which you or another
child you knew was intuitive. You might also choose
to write about an intuitive child you know now.

Discuss a memorable experience during the coronavirus pandemic.

Discuss a time when you felt your intuition was
strong.

Have you ever connected with an ancestor? Describe
what happened.

Discuss a health challenge you or your loved ones
have experienced.

Describe an experience in which you or another
child you knew was intuitive. You might also choose
to write about an intuitive child you know now.

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