I have believed for a long time that my dad is now a beautiful male cardinal. One often visits at the most unexpected times, and in the most unexpected ways. My dad loved taking pictures of cardinals, so it seems likely that would be how he might visit.
Today I was getting ready to comment on a friends Facebook post. She had recently returned from an amazing trip and was afraid that she'd lost the SD card with the pictures from the trip. She finished the post by talking about how happy she was to have found the card, and that it was the 'little things' that led to happiness.
I started to write that I grew up with a photographer father, and that now I enjoy taking pictures myself, so to me it wouldn't be a 'little thing'. As I was writing, I realized that I could hear a cardinal chirping loudly. I looked out my picture window and there he was flitting from tomato cage ring to ring and hovering as well.
I thought how wonderful, (and typical) that this happened when I was thinking of him and photography, and how typical that I didn't have my camera nearby, and if he was trying to tell me something.
I then looked to my mantle where I have a candle burning in honor of a much loved baby who is transitioning from this world to the next, and had the strongest feeling that he was saying....little wolf will be with me, he will be all right, and is surrounded by love.
And then the bird was gone. It is difficult for a bird to be calmly flying and flitting on my front porch, as I have roll up blinds mostly rolled down, to protect the porch and house from the strong east sun that we get, since there is nothing blocking it.
How amazing to me to have the visit today as I was writing about my father, and also thinking about little wolf......although, some of you who may read this will think, truly she's off her rocker (I just love these old sayings, may start posting one a week), and others will know precisely what I am talking about.
My mother used to say, there is no meaning in such things, they are merely coincidences, and said it more as she entered the last years of her life. I used to reply, maybe so, but by believing that there is meaning in them, it makes my world so much more interesting, and such moments precious.
Thanks dad, for dropping in....
Post Script: I decided that I wanted a picture of the mantle to go with the story, snapped one and then realized what was there. Everything on my mantle is just as it was, no arranging done. It includes the large framed 'print' of the cardinal, a wooden cardinal, which is actually placed on top of my Spirit Song music folder, the candle, and a clock made from a slab of stone that my dad found on one of his many working trips, and which he had made into a clock for me for the last birthday that we shared with him on this earth.
