For many, cardinals are more than just a pretty red bird to look at, they believe a visit from a cardinal is a visit from a loved one who has passed.
Before their mother Dorothy Booth, 97, died in January 2019, Deborah Booth Patteson and Jeanne Booth Wright spoke with her about the afterlife and asked if she could reach out to them.
Angela Abbott Patteson, Dorothy’s granddaughter-in-law, told The Dodo, that the two sister joked about the subject many times with their mother.
“‘Hey, when you get to heaven, see if you’re able to send a sign that you’re there, and that you’re happy.’ She would say, ‘I’ll see what I can do!’ They said, ‘Send a cardinal!’ Because that was one of Grandma’s favorite birds.”
The conversation may have just been counted as something silly that one discusses when someone is near death, but the day after Dorothy’s memorial service, something happened that caught everyone off guard.
‘Oh my gosh, it really happened!’”
While family members started to play Dorothy’s favorite card game they heard a noise coming from the kitchen. They investigated the sound and found a cardinal.
“He [Angela’s father-in-law] was able to approach it and pick it up. He brought it in the house. [Debbie and Jeanne] were just ecstatic.”
The family spent several minutes with “Dorothy” before they decided it was best to release her back into the wild.
When they tried to set her free, something happened – the bird wouldn’t leave.
“They tried to release it, but the bird turned around and landed on her shoulder,” Angela said. “They were in sheer delight that that happened.”
The family believed it was nothing short of a miracle.
“They knew that it was from God,” Angela said. “To have this happen has been so comforting. It’s really helped my mother-in-law and her sister. This was definitely an answer to prayers.”
What a miracle! Share this article if you believe the cardinal was Deborah and Jeanne’s mother coming to visit.
