C is for Celestial

Are you surprised that I chose celestial instead of cardinals?  That's because, to me, they go hand in hand.  You see, celestial means heavenly or spiritual, and cardinals serve as reminders to me of God's love.  So whenever I see a cardinal, I feel connected with God.

How did this come to be?  If you have been following my blog since the beginning, then you know the answer to this.  For those of you who are new, I will give you a run-down on why cardinals mean so much to me, and why I named this blog Conversations With A Cardinal.

I had a very dear friend, Mary, who committed suicide two years ago.  It was unexpected and I was very shaken up by it. At her funeral I met Mary's sister, Jeni who lives in New York but is now a dear friend of mine (click here to read her blog and learn more about Mary).  Both of us began spotting cardinals at great times of sorrow and when thinking of Mary.  For me, it happened all over the place at the lowest of times...but always when I was sad about Mary's death.  A warm and fuzzy feeling would come over me, as if an "energy" was pouring into my body.  I knew Mary was okay, and that God would get me through.  It was the most amazing, life-changing occurrence I have ever experienced.

Now, two years later, my cardinal still appears to me.  When Jeni and I talk on the phone, a cardinal appears; when I gave Jeni the "Sisterhood" blog award, my backyard was filled with dozens of cardinals; a cardinal led me to a 94-year-old friend who was bleeding to death.  Cardinals are all over now, and they serve as reminders of spirituality and heaven.  I have shared these miracles and many more on this blog, which originated because of my cardinal encounters.

Sometimes I hear the cardinal singing his lovely tune or chirping his distinct chirp, and even though I cannot see the cardinal, I know he is there...just like God.  Other times I see the cardinal after being led to him by the songs or chirps (or sometimes without any sound- I just KNOW he's there).  I am overcome with joy and hope; joy that comes from knowing without a doubt that God and an afterlife exists, and hope that everything will be okay.  I always say a prayer when I hear or see a cardinal and can happily say that today I know that God is near.