It is often said that cardinals are a sign from beyond, from our loved ones who have passed. When you see a cardinal, it is believed to be a message to let us know that we are not alone and that our deceased loved ones are with us in spirit. At one time in my life, I didn’t really put much thought into the visits from the vibrant, bright red birds. My thoughts on this would forever change after we lost Daria.
Prior to Daria’s passing, I never truly paid attention to how many cardinals took up residence in our neighborhood. Sure, there may have been the occasional sighting while we were taking a walk or playing outside with the girls. But I had never encountered a cardinal so obviously wanting to be seen and acknowledged as I would experience soon after we lost Daria. I remember noticing at first one cardinal, sometimes two, flying by the front of the house. I would notice these quick darts of red go by the front door sporadically throughout the day. At first, I wouldn’t think much of it. It was when I would go to the door to look outside when I realized that the red flashes were indeed a cardinal that was flying past our house. I first thought it was a neat coincidence. But as it continued to happen on a regular basis, I would feel as if we were being looked after. There was an energy to these moments that I was connecting to. It was peaceful and positive. This gave me comfort and hope that I would at least get through that day.
From Reflections, Chapter 10: Shut Down
“Aside from the beautiful floral arrangements that were sent to us, I now also had the flowers that were brought home from the service—an amazing arrangement made up of roses…
…I thought it would be a nice idea to dry out the roses in honor of how Daria most likely would have preserved them. The roses were spaced out evenly on the basement clothesline, fastened to the line with clothespins. I assumed that I had fastened them tight enough, but when I went to check on the flowers the following day, I noticed that one stem had fallen loose and landed on the floor. As I bent over to pick it up, it struck me that the flower that had landed on the floor took the shape of what appeared to be a heart. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but as I began to pick up the flower, this feeling of peace and calm washed over my body. It felt to me as if Daria were sending another sign that she was okay, just like the sign that she had appeared to send through the cardinal on the day of her services…
…As you can imagine, the tears started flowing quickly and heavily. But at the same time that this feeling of sadness settled in, it was balanced by total peace. All I could do at the moment was just close my eyes and embrace this feeling. I felt at that moment that I wasn’t alone. Once I composed myself, I picked up the flower, reattached the stem to the clothesline, and headed back upstairs to be with my girls.”
