I saw the cardinals again today. :-)

And they're singing up a storm in the forsythia bushes next to the back deck. Calling to each other and flitting from branch to branch. I know they're there, but they're just out of sight. I find them comforting anyway.

For those of you who don't know, the cardinals remind me of my parents. My Mom died in February of 2005 and then last year, my Dad died in March. Both were unexpected.

This is what I wrote about cardinals back in February when I had a blog on MySpace (gag. It just wasn't "me" over there)

Ground Hog Day is tomorrow. Right now there's the pitter-patter of sleet and freezing rain outside my (dark) window. Is Spring really not so far off? It's hard to believe sometimes.

I saw a cardinal the other day. Unremarkable, I know. But there's a story. I'm much more aware of cardinals these days.

After my mother died, I started seeing a cardinal in my backyard. While that might not seem unusual, I've been feeding the backyard birds here for 14 years and the cardinals did not come to my yard. My neighbor's yards, yes, just not mine.

Anyway, I took comfort in the sight of those cardinals and thought often of how my mother was with me in spirit, although I missed her physical presence. Why a cardinal? Well, my mother loved cardinals and I just associated this cardinal with her. Hey, it's not something I need to analyze deeply, I'll take comfort wherever I can get it.

When my father died last year and I started being visited by a pair of cardinals - a male and female and they often perched in a backyard tree and sang to me while I was on the deck and I was at peace. Suddenly, I saw cardinals in places I never did. Cardinals showed up in the brush by the parking lot when I got to work, they flitted past me when I went for a hike. I found a cardinal garden flag among the supplies in my Dad's garage. I took it. It hangs by my front door. My mother-in-law gave me a cardinal Christmas ornament.

Cardinals were everywhere, and usually turn up on just those days that I'm feeling sorry for myself. God is good! All the time!

Is it the spirit or presence of my parents? I don't now, but does it matter? They make me smile.

Time to wake the children.
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Back to the present.

Tomorrow would have been my Dad's 77th birthday.

It's also my 15th wedding anniversary. And of course, the BIG ANNIVERSARY.

It's still another day on the calendar, ripe with it's own future, although we will never forget the past.

I saw the cardinals again today.

Peace.