Butterfly Kisses From Beyond

During a recent visit to see family, we headed out of town and just as we turned onto the highway, a bright red cardinal jetted across the road right in front of us.  This was not the first time that I had seen a cardinal do this, and so I made a comment wondering if this was something cardinals normally do, or if they just really wanted to be noticed?  I mentioned that perhaps my son was accompanying us to see his loved ones, and that is why this bird gained our attention? A couple hours into our drive, we arrived at my parent's home, and immediately upon walking to their door, a song emanated from the tree branches.  I was familiar with the melody and my eyes scanned the tree limbs trying to catch a glimpse of our friend.  He kept singing, and just then, I noticed him in brilliant red sitting upon a limb.  I smiled and said to my partner, "Okay, Logan must be with us, as there's another cardinal!" Later that afternoon, after stopping at my daughter's home, her...

 The road is rocky when it comes to losing a child. The path takes you to highs and lows, and you experience the wonderment  and detriment of life in the same breath. Over the last five years, I have learned lessons that I never would have experienced had I not been thrust into the label of a bereaved parent. I can honestly say that I likely would not have pondered the meaning of life and death so internally, if I had lived a life of certainty and basked within the traditional milestones. This is definitely not a journey I would ever want to repeat, but I am trying to understand what life is showing me... teaching me even. When you have something ripped out of your life in such an inhumane way, it startles your entire existence, and you are left standing there holding the bandage, as your wound bleeds all over the ground below you. You aren't sure what you are possibly going to do to survive the pain that is rushing towards you like a speeding freight train.  You simply s...

Messages from beyond can soar a heart to grand levels. The veil is thinner than we think! Yesterday was Mother's Day and for a parent who has lost a child, it can be an emotional time with plenty of heartache to go around. For days leading up to Mother's Day, the pain in my heart did not cease to make me notice it.  I called out to my son multiple times, telling him I would love a sign and reassurance from him that he wasn't far from my current world. The hours ticked on yesterday, as I spent some time with my Mom and Daughter, as I couldn't bare to be away from them.  I searched desperately for some type of recognition that my son had somehow gotten a Mother's Day message to me in some way.  I stopped by the cemetery to visit his grave, and a little chipmunk ran along a tree trunk laying in the bush, but otherwise, all was silent. On my drive home last night, a red cardinal flew across the road, directly in front of my car (which in fact ...

Do you see hearts and wonder if they are a  sign from a loved one, angel, or the spirit realm? The heart is a universal symbol of love and it portrays a vast array of positive feelings when one encounters this shape in their every day life.  It can bring a feeling of peace, contentment, and hopefulness that no other "sign" from beyond can accomplish. The world around us is constantly sending us signals and messages, that once you begin to perceive, you can't help but notice when they appear. The shape of a heart can be seen literally anywhere, and in it can come in any form. Personally, I have found hearts to appear in stones, tree branches, plants, potatoes, water droplets, and even concrete, to name a few.  When their presence is noticed, it immediately brings a vast amount of unconditional love that seems to emanate from the universe itself.  Your mind is instantly brought into a place of peace, and the negative thought that may have been previously...