I decided to limit the Erik Encounters to just one if they’re on the longish side. I thought this one was great and so like Erik.
One day, while at work, I was sitting in the kitchen on the 4th floor of my building. There are two windows that open and one has no screen. I was watching YouTube videos of Elisa and Jamie and Erik when all of the sudden I heard an incredibly loud buzzing noise. I’m used to seeing the stray bee or stink bug but this was a beautiful and powerful dragonfly. A dragonfly! He was buzzing around the room and flying into everything in hopes of finding his way back out. He kept slamming into the large picture windows again and again. I calmly walked over to him with a broom and dustpan and said outloud, ‘ I can help you but you just have to trust me. Trust me.’ And he quieted down and allowed me to scoop him up and take him to the window and let him out safely. Whew, I thought. Not 2 minutes go by when I hear the same loud buzzing sound and see him banging, once again into the window. I walk over and say again, ‘ok dude, trust me. I’m not going to hurt you.’ To my amazement, he landed and got still and allowed me to escort him out the window. Although this seemed odd that a dragonfly would be so high up as to come in on the 4th floor of a building, I just blew it off and went about my day.
The very next day, the day after Prince died, I was in the stairwell of this building when I heard some distressed flapping. To my utter shock, a dove was trapped inside. There are windows in this stairwell and they were open. Immediately, I thought of Prince and his song ‘When Doves Cry.’ I said out loud, ‘Trust me’ and the dove sat down in the window ledge and allowed me to gather him up in my hands and take him to the open window and let him out. At this point, I have now rescued critters 3 times in 2 days but I still didn’t relate them to Erik. ( I’m a tad slow perhaps)
Today, I am reading your book and clear as day on page 22, Elisa, you encounter a dragonfly at the carwash. What an AHA! moment for me. I’ve been asking Erik to stop by but I assumed it would look a certain way. I keep telling him not to scare me. So…he sends me beautiful creatures instead. Thank you Erik. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
