A Sign from the Universe

If you haven’t seen the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother (S08E23: “Something Old”) and don’t like spoilers, you might need to skip this blog.

So in this episode, Robin digs all over Central Park to find a locket she buried in there years ago so that she can use it as her “something old” for her upcoming wedding to Barney. She has trouble finding it, so she asks for the help of her father, then her fiancee, and finally her friend Ted. They all say they have something to do and is this really important? Robin says, “Nah, it’s stupid.” But Ted shows up anyway, canceling his job interview, because he knows this is Robin-ese for “It’s important.”

When Robin finally manages to find the box that contained the locket, she is beyond ecstatic, cluing Ted in to the fact that there’s something more to this, and he asks her what was really going on. She confesses that she has been having fears about marrying Barney. “I still don’t know if he’s ready for this. I still don’t know if I am. But if could find this locket, if it was still here, waiting for me, that would mean that the universe wanted me to marry Barney. And that everything was gonna be okay. And when it was gone it was like every doubt I ever had about Barney, about myself, got dug up. But I found it! And everything’s gonna be okay.” She breaks into a smile and cracks the box open.

The locket is not inside.

“This is a sign from the universe,” Robin starts freaking out.

“It’s not a sign from the universe,” Ted contradicts.

“Yes it is!” Robin protests. “The locket is just gone and you’re telling me it doesn’t mean anything? You know this is a bad omen, Ted, you’re Universe Guy!”

“You’re Skeptic Girl, you’re not supposed to believe any of that.”

“Maybe I’ve grown skeptical of being skeptical. This is a sign!”

“Look, it’s not a sign,” Ted insists. “You’re doing the right thing marrying Barney. The universe isn’t sending you some message.”

Just then, it starts raining.

“As we know from science, rain is liquid water in the form of droplets which have condensed from atmospheric vapor and then precipitated,” Ted explains, even as his clothes get soaked through. “It’s not a sign.”

“Ted, this is a sign and you know it!” Robin sobs. “The universe is screaming at me right now. How can you, of all people, tell me to ignore that?”

“Because maybe it’s dumb to look for signs from the Universe. Maybe the Universe has better things to do – dear God, I hope it does. Do you know how many signs I’ve gotten that I should or shouldn’t be with someone? And where has it gotten me? Maybe there aren’t any signs. Maybe a locket is just a locket, a chair is just a chair. Maybe we don’t have to give meaning to every little thing. Maybe we don’t need the Universe to tell us what we really want. Maybe we already know that deep down.”

Robin then reaches out to hold Ted’s hand and they gaze at each other in the rain.

End of episode.

That scene so affected me that I did what I normally do after I watch something like that – I searched for reviews. I found this well-written review that made me realize that the scene had more symbolism than I thought… because of the rain.

Season 1: Ted makes it rain

Back in season 1, Ted wanted to keep Robin away from Sandy Rivers, and the only way that would happen was if their trip got canceled. So he decided that he was going to do something to stop it – he would make it rain. It was a crazy idea, but he found a girl who taught him how to do the rain dance. He admitted in the end that he knew it was crazy and that it wasn’t going to work, but he loved Robin and needed for it to work. “Do you hear me, Universe? Give me some rain!” he yells at the sky. “Come on! Come on! Come on!”

Just then, it starts raining.

A sign.

So Ted ran to Robin’s apartment and told her, “Come down here! I made it rain!” They kiss, and that was how they ended up together.

Seven seasons later, Ted is a completely different guy from that guy who asked the Universe for rain. Can you blame him? He has been through so much. All those “signs” that led him nowhere.

Okay I have something to confess. The reason why HIMYM is my favorite is not because of the hilarious jokes and legendary moments, but because I can identify with Ted so much. I, like him, wanted to find my “the one” and Ted’s journey through the show gave me hope, that someday, everything that I did in my life, even the ones that I regret, would somehow all make sense and tie together in the end.

I too was “Universe Girl” and also believed in signs. I asked for a sign if I should leave Zamboanga and risk going to Makati. I asked for a sign if I should leave Makati and look for a job in Singapore.

Now I am going to talk about my weirdest “sign” belief ever, and I know you’re gonna laugh at me for being so pathetic but I wanna share it anyway. My sign for love was, get this: a watch.

When I was in college, my then boyfriend gave me a watch for Christmas. I really loved that watch. It was so pretty, with a dainty strap in my favorite color, purple, and a small silver face (I don’t like big watches). It was so me. It was perfect.

Then just after New Year, he broke up with me. That destroyed me but since we were block mates, I still had to see him everyday. Do you know how difficult it was to keep my composure around him? Then one time, we had to go to our teacher’s house to practice for a debate session. By some unlucky stroke of fate, we were both on the debate team, so the ex was there too. While I was talking to my teacher, I suddenly noticed that my precious watch was no longer strapped to my wrist. “Oh no, where is it?” I wailed, frantically scouring the room for it. “Where is my watch?” When I couldn’t find it, I suddenly burst into tears, right there in the middle of the room, with my teacher and all the other debaters, including him, looking at me. I took it as a sign that my relationship really was over.

Since then, I believed that the watch was the sign of love to come in my life. I said, “Universe, if a guy gave me a watch, that means we are meant to be.” I told you you’d laugh at me.

Flash forward to ten seasons later and no watch still. And I have never been in a serious relationship after that, and I don’t think I ever will.

You see, the point of this post was to say that: I have stopped believing. I have officially given up.

In my particular sitcom, I may be Ted, but there is no “father” with a yellow umbrella purple watch coming my way. I have to accept that, because continuing to hope, after all these years, is just foolish and painful. At some point, you have to learn to face reality.

It’s a good thing I love cats.