Zuzanna Angielczyk received a truly intriguing Valentine’s gift. Here, she shares with us the subtle yet powerful ways in which nature and the universe offer their wisdom—if only we’re open to receiving it…

Today, my partner surprised me with a Valentine's present that I had to find by solving clues hidden all over the apartment. He eagerly watched as I reached the finish line, waiting to see my reaction as I unwrapped the absurd gift that perfectly and humorously captured the essence of our relationship—our joy, closeness, and shared laughter.

To balance out the day, we made some time between work tasks to take a walk with the dog. We took seeds for the ducks and swans and set off for a long stroll, wandering along the riverbank, spotting birds and making stops to feed them. Along the way, we talked about life and the things that matter to us.

I usually go on these walks alone, as I consider them a form of meditation. Whatever is happening in my life, I find if the people around me don’t reflect it back to me, nature certainly does. Maybe I’ll fall into the river, scare the ducks, or have a tick jump on me. The birds might circle nervously, or just the opposite—perhaps a swan will approach, a squirrel will come near, or a majestic heron will watch from a distant branch.

When my partner joins me, we tend to walk faster. We usually talk rather than enjoying the silence, and we don't often make stops. Today, nature was quiet with me—it was peaceful and steady. When we returned to the building, my partner realized he no longer had the key to the apartment door. We didn’t panic because we knew our neighbor had a spare key and was home. Thanks to her, I was able to get inside with the dog while my partner went to search for the lost key. He came back empty-handed and asked me to join him in the search.

We had to hurry before sunset, retracing our steps and both focused on the ground beneath us. We walked slowly and carefully, noticing small details—foot prints, paw prints, pieces of litter—things that had escaped our gaze before. It felt like a mindfulness exercise, a meditation in motion. Our awareness and focus sharpened our connection to the surroundings and to each other.

Since I believe that the world constantly communicates with us, I saw the lost key as a message we hadn’t yet understood. I knew that if we aligned our understanding of the situation, the key would be found. At one point, I suggested that this might be an opportunity to deepen our relationship. At that moment, I spotted the key, lying in the snow, just a step from my partner’s boot. He admitted that he knew he needed to ask for my help, because without me, he would have walked right by it.

As we surveyed our surroundings, we revisited the conversation we’d been having. The topic came back to us quickly, and we realized it must hold significance, given how deeply it had captured our attention. The absurdiy of the situation confirmed that we were in dialogue with the Universe, and we needed to solve this puzzle to uncover the message being given to us.

We often find ourselves trapped in repetitive cycles, overlooking key signs and failing to search in the right places. Yet, when we come together, our chances of finding solutions grow significantly. This time, we learned to understand how the world communicates with my partner. Even though nature remained quiet today, it offered us a chance to discover something new about ourselves—both individually and as a couple.

- Zuzanna Angielczyk