The Red Cardinal with a Message

The cardinal"s presence reflects a time
to renew our vitality.  It reflects lessons

in developing and accepting a new sense

of our own true self-importance.

Ted Andrews

Animal-Speak

Sitting in my youngest son's back yard, there was a bird out of sight but near by that kept getting louder and louder.  I finally asked my son, "Can you see that bird?  What kind of bird is it?" 

Just then with great drama, the bird flew very close to us and we could all see the beautiful male cardinal.  He settled very closely to us for all to see and he sang his little heart out.

I reminded my son how very much his granny loved cardinals.  No one in the family ever sees a cardinal without thinking of her.  My granddaughter's mom promptly told me that her grandfather was an avid cardinal admirer and her family always thought of him when a cardinal appeared.

Then this story was told to me:

My granddaughter was sitting out back with her mom.  They were enjoying a beautiful spring morning when a cardinal appeared.  The mom returned to the house to get something and when she returned, she found my granddaughter standing directly below the cardinal.  The bird was singing and my granddaughter was talking to the bird.  Not just talking, but having a conversation.  I was told that this was not a brief interlude, but a communication that carried on for a length of time.

I believe that God is in all of nature and that wisdom, insight, and understanding flow through flowers, trees, birds, and animals.  I also believe angels surround us or guides, however you want to label them.  I feel with all my heart that children's 'imaginary friends' are indeed spirits.  Little children can see things just like we could when we were little, except the grown ups told us otherwise so eventually we forgot.

My granddaughter just turned three years old, and I would like to believe that her ancestors paid her a visit that morning in the form of a red bird.  I sense that she was being reminded that she was not alone and that she must have courage to be who she was meant to be. I am delighted to know that she already was communing with nature!