Parents Got Rings Made of 20-Month-Old Son's Ashes After He Died in Flood. Now Mom Says He's 'Omnipresent' in Their Lives

A year after losing their 20-month-old son in a catastrophic Texas flood on the Fourth of July, the boy's family has found deeply personal ways to keep him close.

On the final episode of Where the River Took Us, a podcast hosted by longtime former PEOPLE staffer Aaron Parsley, now a senior editor at Texas Monthly, Aaron's sister, Alissa Parsley, reflected on life after the loss, sharing the rituals, memories, and moments that help them keep Clay close.

"I take his picture when I go on trips," Alissa said during the episode, adding that she and her husband, Lance Parisher, had rings made with his ashes. "So he's omnipresent," she remarked.

A Symbol of Comfort: The Cardinal

Alissa went on to say that Clay, who was loved and "celebrated every day of his life," has "taken on the shape of a cardinal for me."

"Whenever I see a cardinal now, I take it as Clay coming to say hi," she said, noting that the red bird has been a source of comfort to the entire family and that one such reminder sits inside their home.

On an altar dedicated to Clay, surrounded by family photos, candles, children's drawings, and keepsakes, Alissa placed a stuffed cardinal that chirps when pressed.

"I got that in Lockhart," she said. "And I'll take that outside and press it, hoping to call cardinals. It's so silly. It hasn't worked yet, but I'm hoping one day it does."

A Life Celebrated

In the podcast, which follows Parsley's Pulitzer Prize-winning account of his family's story for Texas Monthly, he spoke with his family members and other survivors about the moments before their world flipped upside down, as well as how they're working to rebuild and heal following tragedy.

Talking with her brother, Alissa said that having only gotten a chance to spend 20 months with Clay, she "felt like I was just starting to get to know" him.

"But in some ways that's not true," she added. "You already know who they are when they're born."

She went on to describe Clay as endlessly curious and eager to do everything his older sister Rosemary could do. "He didn't like being a newborn," she recalled. "He was ready to be bigger from the get-go."

Finding Glimmers of Joy

As the family continues to grieve, Alissa has focused on healing.

"Glimmers are small joys that happen throughout the day," she explained. "If you take time to notice them... they take up more space in your head than they otherwise would."

Honoring Clay's Legacy

To honor Clay's legacy, the family established a fund in his name. On what would have been his second birthday, they made the fund's first donations to Austin Sunshine Camps and Experience Camps, organizations that support children through camp experiences and grief services.

Alissa called the milestone "so beautiful," adding, "It was a really good day."

A New Family Shape

She ended the conversation by describing how she thinks about her family now.

"I kind of pictured our family as a square," she said. "The four corners were Lance, me, Rosemary, and Clay."

"And now we're a triangle, me, Lance, and Rosemary. And Clay is in the middle," she said. "So we're sturdy. The three of us are sturdy, and Clay is in there with us forever."

The Parsley family's journey through grief is a testament to the enduring power of love and memory. Through rings made of ashes, the sight of a cardinal, and a foundation that helps other children, they have found ways to keep Clay's spirit alive. Their story reminds us that while loss reshapes a family, it does not diminish the bond that holds them together.