Gigi's Journal - April 26, 2011 @ 7:24 AM

Birds.  I like birds.

On July 10, 2020 around 11:30 PM, as I kept a vigil at my Mother’s side,    I experienced a rare moment during those two days to be alone with her.  She had been in a coma since we brought her home, with family and friends visiting and saying their goodbyes.  

My chair was up against her bed and I laid my head by her head.  I whispered in her ear, “Mom, I’ve heard stories about people coming back to visit after they’ve gone.  I want to let you know that I’m okay if you want to come back and visit me.  Nothing spooky or scary though.  I like birds.”   

Just a few hours later, she left us.  As her sisters gathered at the house to see her one last time, Ray, my brothers and I were sitting at the kitchen table.   No one else was in that kitchen when a water bottle falls off the counter.  My older brother half joking said, “Mom, is that you???”  I responded with I just told her that she could visit but nothing spooky or scary, I like birds.  As soon as those words were out of my mouth, I looked up to the light fixture over the table we were sitting at.  There was a bird in the fixture!  “Uh, how long has that bird been there???”  My brother answered, “Sharon, that’s been there for at least a decade.”   I don’t remember ever seeing it!  

On July 27, 2020 I picked up my Mom’s cremains and brought them to Dad’s house.  Dad said to put the urn on the bookcase.   After placing the urn, I sat down on the couch and Dad said, “I think she would like that.”  I looked over at my Dad, who was sitting in a chair by the window, and there was a female cardinal on the tree by the window.  I mentioned the bird to Dad and explained how Cardinals have been known to represent loved ones who’ve passed on.  

I had a tattoo appointment scheduled three days later which had been on the books for a month.  After the bird incidents, I decided to get a cardinal tattoo.  Seemed appropriate.

Sadly, on July 19, 2021, my Dad died.  His is a story for another day.  

One year ago today, November 24, 2021, my daughter and I were having lunch together.  As we were leaving to go back to my place, I ran into a friend.  Rebecca went ahead of me.  I finished talking to my friend and was pulling into my place when Rebecca called me kind of panicked.  There was a bird flying around my dining room!  Unlike me, she is not a fan of birds.  Particularly birds that get into your house.  We were able to shoo the male cardinal out of the open porch door where he made his way in.

As we sat down, relieved he was safely out of the dining room, I realized that it was my parent’s anniversary.  I leave that door open all the time.  Never once has a bird flown in.  

I don’t pretend to know how any of this works.  When we leave this earth, do we come back to visit?   I don’t know.  What I do know is this:  I like birds.