A dear friend told me shortly after my mom passed away that cardinals are a symbol of a loved one’s spirit nearby. I promise you, I have never seen so many cardinals in my life until my mom passed away.
In the weeks before our little Nathan was born, I started aching for my mom to be here again. It hurt so much to know that she would never meet this extraordinary little person. I would never be able to see the joy on her face when she first got to hold her second grand-baby. She must have known how much I struggled in those weeks, because honestly I saw a cardinal outside the window of our house every day leading up to Nathan’s birth, and in the weeks after while I was on maternity leave. Every. Single. Day.
I see a cardinal every time I am out for a run. And most days, when I’m walking through the parking lot to get to the boys’ school to pick them up, a cardinal flies overhead. Mama, your presence here is loud and clear, and I am thankful every single day for that.
a life well loved 