SIGNS From Loved Ones After Death: The $100 Bill That Stopped Her In Her Tracks

What if the universe sends signs when we need them most?

After losing her friend Derek to melanoma, Susie went for a walk on a quiet North Shore trail. In the middle of her grief, something unexpected happened — a $100 bill landed right at her feet. The moment stopped her in her tracks and raised a powerful question many people ask after losing someone they love:

Was it coincidence… or a sign from the afterlife?

In this episode, we explore the story behind that moment and how it transformed Susie’s understanding of grief, connection, and the possibility of signs from loved ones after death.

We talk about the split-second choice we all face when something uncanny happens — dismiss it as coincidence or allow it to hold deeper meaning. Susie shares why Derek’s personality makes the experience feel even more personal, how the moment brought her immediate peace, and why she still keeps the $100 bill as a reminder that love doesn’t disappear when someone dies.

We also explore the common signs people report from deceased loved ones, including:

• Cardinals appearing at meaningful moments
• Dimes and coins found in unexpected places
• Heart shapes showing up in everyday life
• Synchronicities that feel too perfect to ignore

Along the way, we discuss why nature, mindfulness, and awareness can make people more open to noticing these signs, and how small acts of kindness can sometimes make us the sign someone else needs.

If you’ve ever wondered about afterlife signs, spiritual messages, or whether loved ones can reach out after death, this conversation may bring comfort, curiosity and connection.  And perhaps a new way of seeing the moments that stop us in our tracks.

🎧 Listen now and discover how grief, love, and synchronicity sometimes intersect in the most unexpected ways.

If this episode resonates with you, subscribe, share it with someone who is grieving, and leave a review telling us about the most meaningful sign you’ve ever experienced.

Transcript

Wondering About Signs

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Sometimes we wonder whether or not something we're seeing is a sign, and other times we get stopped right in our tracks.

Meet Susie And Her Story

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Today's guest on the next episode of Curating Connection is Susie. And Susie, you've got a story to tell us about a sign that stopped you in your tracks. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Hello. Hi. Thanks for having me, Kim. Yeah, you know, it's interesting when you think about signs and what people see. And I I've always thought about this growing up too. It was nothing new to me to hear about signs, but to have it happen was pretty

Derek’s Death And The $100

SPEAKER_01 0:46

interesting. So back in 2021, August of 2021, I lost a very dear friend named Derek who had melanoma that advanced, you know, tried everything. I would visit him several times. And we'd been friends for many, many years. And he's a jokester and he's so fun. But long story short, I he lived in North Carolina and I was up north on the North Shore with some friends. And I knew the time was coming that he would pass. And I did get the call from his mom that he had passed and just had a nice, nice conversation about, you know, being at peace and no more suffering. And so being on the North Shore, I my friend and I went for a walk on a trail. And as we're walking, you know, I'm deep in thought. I wasn't really paying attention to anything but what I was looking, thinking of Derek. And I was just looking down because I do that a lot when I walk. And I looked down and I went, Oh my gosh, there's a hundred-dollar bill. What? There was a hundred-dollar bill right at my foot. And I literally did not think it was real. So I looked at my friend and I said, Do you see this? Is this do you see what I see? So I pick it up and she was like, Where did you find that? I said, It was just right in front of me. And she was like, That is so weird. And I looked up and I'm like, Are you kidding me? Like, how could this happen? And as I said, my friend Derek was a jokester. I don't know how things happen. Of course, my first thought was, Did somebody lose their money? Do I need to put this on Facebook or something? But really deep inside, I knew somehow it was a sign from my friend who had passed. And just to think like how that came about, my whole day was just kind of different after that. I still have the hundred dollar bill, by the way. And it's in your book too, the picture of it. I keep it in a jewelry box that he'd give me about friendship. So that was a huge, huge sign for me that, you know, I do believe in this afterlife that our loved ones are there. And the best part is I knew he wasn't suffering anymore. That's that's where I get my peace. But then to see things like I see, you know, different signs, it's the hundred-dollar bill. It was a perfect example for me to understand where our loved ones are.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Well, that certainly did stop you in your tracks that day, Susie.

Coincidence Or Personal Message

SPEAKER_00 3:08

And as you were kind of reflecting on Derek in that moment, it seems as if that sign just kind of appeared and you could either dismiss that moment and like you said, think, hey, maybe somebody lost this. Or was there like some type of feeling that you had that kind of brought you that confirmation that it was a sign from Derek so quickly after you received the news?

SPEAKER_01 3:38

Well, I think the funny part is he was a jokester. So I mean, always laugh. I mean, so to see a hundred-dollar bill, granted, I know he didn't come down and put a hundred-dollar bill there. Like that does not happen, I don't think. I sure hope somebody's still not missing that hundred dollar bill, but it was still a sign because I could it could have easily been in the grass and I wouldn't have seen it. It could have been somewhere else, but it was right at my foot. And for me to see it, to look down and see it. And maybe it's just perfect timing, or maybe I'm putting, you know, the sign. It was for me as a sign, whether or not it was just a hundred dollar bill that somebody had lost. But I take it as a sign. And ever since then, I see different signs. I've had loss in my life, like all of us have my father, relatives, friends. And I do believe it's not just that $100 bill is a sign. I feel like there's signs a lot, and I'm very open to seeing

Cardinals And Daily Comfort

SPEAKER_01 4:39

them. So when you're open to seeing them, you're gonna find them to the point where I'm like, am I really seeing this right now? Like daily almost, I'll see cardinals. This morning it's snowing, of course, March 15th in Minnesota. And I was just thinking about things. I was watching a movie that was kind of heavy, and I went outside with my dog and I looked out in the snow and the trees, and there's like three cardinals. And I just can't help but smile when I see them because it's not just Derek. To me, it's all the people who have passed. I don't know what it is. There's something peaceful about it for me. So yeah, I think there's many, many different signs I see.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

It sounds like you see signs, and sometimes they bring you comfort. Are there other times that signs can bring you closure or make you feel something else?

Heart-Shaped Oil And Peace

SPEAKER_01 5:31

I think it's really it's really just peace because I I you know, none of us know what happens, right? We all just live this life that we live, and we always want to know that everybody's safe and okay. And to me, if I see I I'm kind of a humorist, so if I I'll find a dime in a place that should not have a dime, I'll find things that like I don't know if I have some pictures I sent you too. Like I was making stuff in a pan, I put my oil in a pan, and it is the shape of a heart. I did not do that. I don't know how to do art in a pan with oil, and it's a perfectly shaped heart. So to me, somebody else might not even notice that. I notice it, I feel hypersensitive with that, and I I couldn't help but tear up and go, whoever in heaven wanted me to see this, I see this, and it brings me peace because I can be a warrior. So when I see stuff like that, it does calm me spiritually.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

That's I don't know how how else to say that, but yeah, I really think that that's a nice moment for us just to pause and reflect on how seeing a sign and being open to it can calm you spiritually, because the world around us can be full full so full of chaos that we might overlook signs that we're receiving, but yet it's kind of a dichotomy that once we see them, we can find peace. And I think that sometimes you're being guided, not by accident, not by luck, but by love. And for example, that sign of your oil that it makes a perfect shape of a heart, which I will put in the show notes or have a link to it for people to see, is pretty amazing.

Nature And Everyday Kindness

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Do you ever ask for signs, Susie, or are you just spotting them spotting them spontaneously because you're in tune to them now?

SPEAKER_01 7:41

You know, I think when I'm outside mostly, I like nature. And I think when I'm outside walking my dog or just being outside in general, I feel like I'm more open to wanting to see signs. And I mean, there's signs all around if you kind of think about it. It depends on what you want to see. Like to me, birds, and I say cardinals, but it's not just cardinals, I'll see other beautiful birds. I saw an eagle out my window one day. There's something about nature and creatures, not just us humans, but but if you even go towards humans, you know, smiling with somebody, picking up something for somebody else. I feel like I always find a sense of peace whenever you can help somebody or even go outside in nature and see something. I I think we just need more of that awareness in this day and age that we live in. And it finds me peace. And I I hope everybody can find that.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Yeah, sometimes we're the answer to someone's prayer, right? We are their sign. We may appear out of nowhere and extend kindness, which I have known Susie for quite some time, and she does do a lot of giving from the heart very unexpectedly to people. And her involvement in her community with her family and friends or those in need really is remarkable. So thank you for all that you contribute back to the world because we do need that love. And tell me how else did those little love signs show up for you?

The Litter Box Heart Sign

SPEAKER_00 9:15

Because I think you've got one that involves animals as well. You mean the litter box?

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Yes. So I don't want to throw people off and be like, she's weird, but I clean out my cat litter box, and it's at least two or three times now taking out the litter. For anybody who has a cat, you'll know exactly what I say. You take your scooper, you get your bag, and I have found litter in the shape of a heart, and I've sent those to Kim. So if you need to put those out there so people can believe me, and we're not talking like kind of a heart or I want to see that so I see it. These are literally better hearts than I could even create. And again, I go back to my friend Derek, who is a jokester. And I just have to look what when I've seen those, I look up and I'm like, Are you kidding me? This is crazy. That I I would hope people would notice that when they're doing it, but I doubt it. Who's gonna look at their letterbox? But literally, hearts, and all I can think about is my buddy Derek laughing up in heaven, going, You need a sign? I think you need a funny sign. Maybe you're having a rough day. Here's a sign for you that life is okay, we're all gonna be okay. Yeah, so I keep those in my phone because I'm just like, nobody's gonna believe me when I say these kinds of things.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

That's what I love about this podcast and hearing everyone's stories, the evidence, right? And personal situations in which they arise and how they come to each and every person is so different and so unique, but yet so special. Did any of these signs uh tend to show up when you were struggling or looking to make decisions or needing reassurance the most?

Signs When Life Feels Heavy

SPEAKER_01 11:03

Oh, yeah, yeah. And I think that's probably when you get signs, right? Is when I think your loved ones are kind of like, you know, they need a nudge, they need to know that it's gonna be okay. Or because I'm sure I've been on walks and I've had bad days, and I look up and there's there's a cardinal, and almost like they're my buddies, like I say, it's almost frequently. But yes, there are bad days where I see that and I'm like, okay, all right, there's peace in this that you know, whatever this life is throwing at me today, I'll get through it. You just sometimes need to know you're not alone, even if you could have 10 family members around you and you could still feel alone sometimes, but to have that presence that's bigger than us, that's supporting you, priceless. Like you just you can't get that anywhere else. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Yeah, some people may still call those coincidences, but I call them connections. And I think you've curated these connections that continue on beyond this physical earth right now, and that's something I think we should all strive to do is curate that connection. What would you say for people that are maybe not so open to signs?

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Yeah.

When People Feel Blocked

SPEAKER_01 12:18

You know what I think? And this is just me talking, I think it's a spiritual thing. I in my eyes, this is just me speaking. I think people that aren't open to it are, you know, maybe a little blocked or you know, don't, or it could also be fearful to people. Some people, I like, you know, if my dad dies, I don't want to know anything, I don't want to see anything. I've heard people say that before, and that's okay too. I just people find their peace however they find it, but I find it in nature and being outside or seeing any, you know, finding a dime where it wouldn't be a dime. Like, come on, like though to me, and of course, that could just be coincidental. There is a dime in the back of my lazy Susan that there would be no reason to have a dime in there, and there would be one. So I it's all up to each person, but I would hope people I only wish that people could see signs because it just gives you that peace because we lack that in this day and age. And I think the more we can focus on there's something above us, beyond us, and to not be scared. And and I think that's the thing that I find is I feel like I'm not as scared if I know that there's others there and you know we're gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

Yeah, I like the way you put that, that it isn't as scary when you know there's something else beyond, right? It's a confirmation that people may be looking for. I know you experience a lot of signs, it sounds like when you're out in nature. And why do you think that is?

Why Nature Makes Signs Easier

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Well, I you know, I when you read up on on higher consciousness or awareness, they talk a lot about outside of the regular everyday stuff that we do and be get closer with nature. I mean, that's something that God produced that you know it's not a man-produced thing, you know what I mean? Like it's not manufactured, it's it's nature. I feel like that it's an uncontrolled environment that to see things, you know, to see an eagle, to see a cardinal, or you know, I to and it's just my point of view that I think that just is something that if people are open to seeing it, it just it's helpful to me. And I I think it took me a while to get there. Like when I was younger and had loss, I was just living in anxiety and fear. But I feel like the older I get, the more I read up on things, it's it's nothing to be so fill fearful of. And being outside is my way of peace. Like it could be winter, spring, summer, there'll be something pretty to see the ocean, flowers.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

Yeah, really being present in the moment, I think is one way that we can slow down and recognize like the beauty around us, as you were just describing. And in the midst of that beauty, you may see a sign that you're looking for. Or as you're scrubbing or reaching in the back of your cupboard and you find a dime in the back of a lazy Susan, there's no coincidence there. Someone's sending you a message, right? As far as curating connection goes, what are you curating connection in your life with at this time, Susie?

Curating Connection In Midlife

SPEAKER_01 15:32

Hmm. I think as I'm getting older in our 50s, it's it's you're at a different point in life where you really do start to have that upper or higher consciousness of what's really important in life. It's not so much the materialistic things, it's not money, it's not, you know, where do I live and what do I have? It's more about relationships and just building on that, getting stronger with relationships and being able to. I mean, I'm single, I live alone, so I have a lot of time on my hands. So being comfortable in my own skin, I think that's important.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

I love that.

Staying Open And Final Words

SPEAKER_00 16:15

And do you have any uh wise wisdom for our listeners today around seeing signs or being open to seeing signs?

SPEAKER_01 16:27

Yeah, you know, it's it's individual for each person, but I would hope the more people hear that they're open to it, not closing the doors because there's so much opportunity if you just open up a little bit. And it's not like you have to have be, you know, outside and just going, wait, I didn't see a cardinal. I must not have anybody who loves me. It's not like that. It doesn't have to be a cardinal. That's just kind of my stuff that I see. But and I also believe in, you know, I love poetry and stuff like that. I think it's opening yourself up to reading on things that show you about higher awareness of, you know, death and dying, and you know, because it's it's inevitable. So let's try to embrace it and find those signs so we can be comfortable with it and know that there's there's more out there.

SPEAKER_00 17:16

I am so glad that you were able to join us today on this episode. And thank you so much for your insight and sharing your sign stories with us. There really is a version of you that's already walking in purpose, everyone. And the signs are here to help you catch up. The only thing between you and your next level is your willingness to believe. The signs will do the rest. Until next time.