Day 101 - Return of the Red in These Foolish Things

My cardinal is back! I tried to look back in my entries to see where I wrote about the cardinal who smashed into my window and fell to the balcony floor in a splat, wings splayed and stars dancing around his head. I can’t find it, but just picture if you will, a poor, dazed but beautiful bright red cardinal laid out on my balcony and me in a freaking PANIC over what to do!

And then, you may remember that his FRIEND, another beautiful bright red cardinal came to his rescue and did his best to pick his buddy off the floor and get him to get up and fly?! I had no idea that birds did this! It was amazing to see…his friend flew down onto my patio and literally PICKED up the injured cardinal and tried to prop him up to get him to safety. He did this about three times.

The dazed cardinal was finally able to get up and perch himself on a planter that I have next to the window he crashed into, but it took him a good hour to gather his wits and finally fly away.

Anybody see any similarities to my life here? I sure do. I’ve smashed into things a few times and my friends have swooped in to my rescue and have miraculously propped me up so that I could get a handle on things. This bird scene was a phenomenal sight to see!

So I did some research on birds who smash into windows, because unfortunately, it is very, very common. Apparently, many, many times, the bird has internal and/or brain injuries and even though the bird is able to fly away, he or she eventually dies after a traumatic event like that.

But my beautiful cardinal came back! And he comes back daily to my bird feeder. And I am so impressed and relieved by his resiliency. I’m feeling a little bit like this guy is my spirit animal lately.

So of course, I had to look up the meaning and symbolism of cardinals - especially this one, who’s been picked up and saved and comes back to me day after day…

Here’s something I found:

A Divine Message for You
Cardinals are messengers of presence, love, and divine reassurance. They remind us that we are never alone, that we are supported, and that our presence in this world matters.

You are loved. You are guided. And everything is unfolding exactly as it’s meant to.

I think my little guy needs a name. I think his name is Robert Redford.

Better go. The morning birds are already singing!

xox,
GS