His Eye is on the Sparrow

As is my morning ritual, last Tuesday I walked to the upstairs rear window to look out and check the weather. Approaching the window, the horn on the neighbor's car honked once. There was nobody in the car. I stepped closer to the window to see what was happening and a little brown sparrow flew up and landed on the white pine tree branch two feet away. The tiny brown sparrow looked me in the eyes, chirped once and the presence of my niece Kelly instantly filled my being. I knew instantly and certainly that Kelly had died. I looked at the clock. It read 7:29 a.m. A half hour later Sister Joyce called to tell me what I already knew. Beloved Kelly Meier Culhane, daughter, niece, sister, wife, mother... after a heroic three-year struggle against cancer, had started on her new journey. Four days later I'm still stunned, and incredibly humbled, humbled to tears and grief, that one of her first stops on her new and irrevocable path was to say goodbye to her old Uncle Muk. From the bottom of my sad, sad heart, I say, "Thank you Kelly and God speed."

CHOICES

Last night, wandering around Sam's Club trying to find out where Mary had disappeared to, I came alongside a no-nonsense looking mother and her two 14-ish daughters having an animated discussion as they wheeled their one-item cart toward the check-out.

"Mom! I can't believe you're choosing TP over me! I'm your daughter! Don't you LOVE me?"

"Honey I love you. Yes I do. But tonight I'd rather have toilet paper in the house than school supplies."

Sweet. Way to go Mom.