"The Cardinal"
I worked many years as a caregiver. I did home health care and worked at a nursing home. As you can imagine you get very close to the people you take care of. Many deep conversations are to be had. Let me introduce you to Martha and Kurt (names have been changed).Well they were getting up there in age and pretty much Martha was the caregiver over her husband Kurtis, when I or another aide wasn't there. So one day Martha and I were talking and we were sharing our experiences in how we loved birds and took care of a couple of cardinals and were worried who was feeding them, now that we had both moved. Eventually, the conversation turned to whether we believed in life after death. And I asked her, if she died before me would she give me a sign, and we agreed she would give me a sign with a cardinal, because we both love cardinals.
A couple months later, while I was taking care of her, she passed away. It was really sad. As I was leaving work, a cardinal swooped down right in front of my windshied. I slammed on the breaks and remembered our deal. Then I thought, maybe I'm reading too much into it and it was just a coincidence.
After a day I decided to call her daughter and tell her anyways about the cardinal and our deal. So a couple days later she called me and said, wow, at her burial, there was this cardinal just sitting on the fence singing away through the whole thing. Yet, still in the back of my mind I thought, well maybe again just a coincidence.
But then a couple days after that, her daughter was at a Hallmark store buying a card when she saw a little beanie baby cardinal. There was only one sitting there and she asked the lady to go check to see if there was anymore and explained why cardinals were so important to her. She really wanted to buy two, one for her and one for me. She came back with one more she had found in the back, and the clerk said why dont you open the little card on there, maybe there is a message for you in there. The card read birthday: August xx, (the date that Martha died). I didn't question it at all after that.
So the cardinal became a symbol for me that there is really life after death. There is something more out there then this, here on earth. Since this happened there has been really stressful times when I pray and I always get another "cardinal" sign, that things will be okay. I hope this story helps you know too, that your loved ones are still with you and watching over you.
A couple months later, while I was taking care of her, she passed away. It was really sad. As I was leaving work, a cardinal swooped down right in front of my windshied. I slammed on the breaks and remembered our deal. Then I thought, maybe I'm reading too much into it and it was just a coincidence.
After a day I decided to call her daughter and tell her anyways about the cardinal and our deal. So a couple days later she called me and said, wow, at her burial, there was this cardinal just sitting on the fence singing away through the whole thing. Yet, still in the back of my mind I thought, well maybe again just a coincidence.
But then a couple days after that, her daughter was at a Hallmark store buying a card when she saw a little beanie baby cardinal. There was only one sitting there and she asked the lady to go check to see if there was anymore and explained why cardinals were so important to her. She really wanted to buy two, one for her and one for me. She came back with one more she had found in the back, and the clerk said why dont you open the little card on there, maybe there is a message for you in there. The card read birthday: August xx, (the date that Martha died). I didn't question it at all after that.
So the cardinal became a symbol for me that there is really life after death. There is something more out there then this, here on earth. Since this happened there has been really stressful times when I pray and I always get another "cardinal" sign, that things will be okay. I hope this story helps you know too, that your loved ones are still with you and watching over you.
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