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."