Do you believe in spirits? of loved ones.

May 16,1995 was one of my saddest days. I lost one of our rocks of the family my grandmother. she was eighty-one years old, and she was one of a kind lady she cooked sewed tended to the garden painted did puzzles anything she did it with love and pride. She was a very Christian lady her faith was strong. Growing up her husband my grandfather who lived to be 98 they had taught me how to earn money and save money at a young age. but the best thing was grandma showed me how to knit and sew and I loved it. And you would be really shocked to see the people's reaction when you say you can sew and stuff it's kind of funny. we lived across the street from grandma and grandpa's house they built the house my mom and dad lived in then they built there home across the street which was so cool growing up. Grandpa had a train set we that being my brother's and sister would play with he also had all kinds of woodshop tools hanging out at grandma and grandpa's was always fun. Grandma and grandpa did a lot in their life time. They worked at the Aladdin lamp industry they owned and operated the B&K root beer stand in Elwood Indiana for years. They both were pictured in the original Smalltown USA Booklet published in 1943 as the first Senior King and Queen of the Smalltown USA festival in 1992. They both were active in the food pantry and the historical society here in our home town. Both being members of the church of God they both were full of faith that being said is where this story comes from. When I was little, we grew and canned all of our own food from the garden we had a grape vine she would make jelly and juice a cherry tree to make pies we had a pear tree walnut tree, we grew Beans onions lettuce carrots corn cabbage radish all kinds of berries. Oh yes the berries I remember walking in those and getting our feet turned all blue ...lol . Sitting on the swing with my grandma snapping beans or cracking walnuts or pitting cherries was the best times as a child, Grandma would tell me stories of when she was young and such one day we were talking about God, and I asked her if she really believed in the Lord, she said oh my heavens yes, I am so ready to be with the lord.I asked are you afraid she replied not at all. Then she said to me when I go, I do not want you to cry at my funeral but be happy knowing that I am fine, and I will be watching over you. I was truly amazed by my grandma's strong sense of faith. Grandma was always in good health ate all the healthy foods and stuff but went for a checkup and they found out she had colon cancer she went for an exploratory surgery that's when they closed her back up sent her home and told her that she had only a couple weeks to live I was so devastated. Grandma came home and she was not sad she was rather happy she called all of us grandkids over gave us a roll of masking tape and told us to put our name on anything of hers we wanted. My grandma loved cardinals she collected all kinds of bird stuff, and she wore a necklace that was a glass sphere with a little mustard seed in it. I asked for it and some cardinal statues. which I did get. But the day of her funeral I had to be strong and not cry like she told me so I kept it together until I got home I walked in my kitchen stopped at the kitchen sink looking out the window I broke down balling my eyes out I wanted my grandma back our rock. My wife came up to me rubbing my back asking if I was ok and I said yes but I am sure going to miss her. And my wife said yes, we all are at that very moment a cardinal landed in the tree outside our kitchen window we both crying but laughing at the same time my wife says see honey there she is letting us know she is fine and checking on us. I couldn't believe it could it really be? Well to this day whenever I think of grandma, I will see a cardinal sometime that day and the days when I am not thinking of her I will see a cardinal and smile and say Hi grandma I am fine I miss you. And every day it makes my faith grow even more.