Red and Windy

There is an old folklore saying that, “When a cardinal appears in your yard, it means that a departed loved one is paying you a visit. When I lost my father in 2011, it was the single most deploring and agonizing trial of my life. There were moments when I wasn't sure if I could persist through the pain.

You see, I had always been a daddy's girl. For my entire life, my father was my hero and my refuge through every storm. I felt as if there was absolutely nothing that I couldn't sustain with him by my side. When he departed, I was left unassisted and unaccompanied to face the world on my own. I was frightened, brokenhearted, and inconsolable.

An amazing friend tried to console me by telling me the story of the red cardinal. Cardinals have long been symbolic of beauty in the midst of darkness, hope in the midst of sorrow, and renewal in the midst of winter. Whether these symbolic meanings came from the folk proverb, or the proverb came from the traditional symbolism, in any case, many people are reminded of the presence of a departed loved one when seeing a cardinal bird land nearby.

This lovely poem gave me comfort and reassurance when nothing else could.

May you come to find comfort in and remember: “Cardinals appear when angels are near.”

Cardinals appear when angels are near.

So go now, sit outside and drink your tea.

Keep a look out for the little red bird —

It is there, your loved one will be.

I decided to place a bird feeder in my yard in hopes of persuading beautiful little birds to visit more often. I soon found myself waking up happy and ready to tackle the day. Every morning whilst drinking my tea, I would sit beneath the trees and watch the blissful, joyous little birds flutter and swoop around me. This brought me peace and comfort in a way that I cannot explain.

Eventually, I observed a pair of cardinals appearing every morning to fetch some breakfast. They became such a steady and unchanging part of my day, I assigned each of them a name. "Red and Windy". Red is a male and he is very protective and attentive of Windy "his female". It warms my heart and gives me so much joy in watching this couple and regarding how affectionate and devoted that they are for one another.

I became so captivated and charmed by this pair of lovebirds, I purchased a Canon PowerShot just so that I could chronicle their daily adventures. With my new "Red and Windy" hobbie came many more bird feeders, unperceived amounts of seed, and hours upon hours of blissfulness and felicity.

My yard is now officially their home as they clearly determined that it was suitable to build their nest in my Loropetalum bush. Windy laid two perfect little speckled eggs. Both Windy and Red maintain the nest and keep a safe, watchful eye over their family as they prepare to hatch into the world.

Cardinals mate for life—almost as often as humans do! In some cases, the birds leave their territory and join a winter flock, but the same pair is likely to go back to the same nesting area the following spring. Male and female cardinals communicate to one another through song. A beautiful, lyrical, mellifluent love song. This unique tune is sanctified between the two birds.

Before encountering Red and Windy, I never knew that birds were capable of showing so much love and affection for one another. This pair truly has an inseparable, sentimental bond. Watching them together fills my heart with so much awe and wonder.

Courtship behavior such as mutual preening or sharing food shows a bond between mated birds that can easily be seen as love. Parent birds are just as affectionate and caring toward their hatchlings. Birds that mate for life may show love toward one another in many ways, including near-constant companionship and togetherness just as human mates will. Devoted mates will protect one another, share food resources, or do many other things to show their affection and caring. If you're lucky, you may even catch them sharing a kiss.

"Red and Windy delivered me from a terribly dark and dejected place. I'm not sure where I would be today if they hadn't come into my life. "

Do I truly believe that cardinals are a sign of supernatural occurrences" "No" But what I do know is that they are such very unique and astounding little creatures. They have brought me so much peace and happiness. We humans could learn some valuable lessons about love and friendship from these amazing, vibrant birds.

If a visit from a beautiful red bird brings back fond memories of a loved one, that's a cordial bonus to the enjoyment that they bring.