Well.

Here I am again. My apologies for the silence. I just needed to catch up on all the things on my plate right now, despite the glaring fact that I am not the least bit hungry or eager to digest any of them.

But thou shalt not dwell, right? (I’m thinking this might need to be a Commandment, since it is rather profound.)

Anyway, I’m back. I had every intention of posting about something else entirely, then I received a message…actually 2…and my focus shifted. The first message was from my sister, via a story she told me many years ago, but just recently put down into words; the other, was…well…from God.

For a minute here, I’m going to talk about a blessing. My sister, Shane Jackson.  Her strength astounds me, and her faith is unshakeable. Throughout my life, she has been my protector. Quite honestly, if not for her return to Alabama back in 1980, after fleeing a horribly abusive marriage and bringing along her very own firstborn, just 6 weeks old, there is a good chance I might not be alive today. I was 8 years old. For now, I’ll leave the details for another post, but I can say with certainty that she saved my life then, and she hasn’t stopped since. The two of us have…let’s just say…weathered many a storm, and seen things nobody should have to. And, if the past few years are any indication, we are right in the eye of a hurricane, hunkering down, hoping and praying for it to pass. Again. But I digress. Besides being a Rock of Gibraltar in human form, she is also a gifted and talented writer of poetry, fiction, inspirational words, etc. You name it, and she can perfectly put it into words, even when one might believe there were none to describe it.

Here is the story. All true words. Enjoy.

The Story of the Redbirds 

When my father died, I was devastated. He was my best friend, my protector. Everything that happened in my life he knew about. After the funeral I crawled into my mother’s lap and stared for a while. She never questioned me; never said a word,  but rather held me as if I was an infant. After a month had passed, I was home with my children, cleaning dishes while talking to my mother on the phone. All of the sudden two redbirds appeared at my breakfast room window. They were pecking and making noise. I moved over to the sink and they followed me. I told Mother I would have to call her back and I ran upstairs to get the video camera. When I got to my bedroom, there they were at the upper level windows pecking, just as if they were trying to tell me something. By this time I was freaked out. I began videoing them. I ran back down to call Mother and they followed me back to the kitchen window. I was so weirded out, I was almost yelling on the phone. Mother sat  there until I finished and then said,  “You’ve never heard the story on the redbirds”? “No”, I said. She began to tell me how redbirds come into your life when you’ve lost someone you love. They represent them and bring good will and joy back into your heart. They are there to let you know everything will be alright and life is turning around for your heart.

Several months later, I lost my mother. We moved from Persimmon Tree road to Sugar Creek. I was done. Crushed at the loss of my mother. She was my everthing. Both my mother and my father were the world to me, as well as to everybody else. There was no bringing me back from this one. I was surviving, not living. I tried to keep a good face for my children and my husband but honestly, I didn’t want to breathe. One day I was home and cleaning, as usal. I walked out to the pool to set some chemicals down and took my seat, positioning myself to look out over the land and just meditate. There was a white fence surrounding the pool on one side. I hear this screetch and turn. There they were, Three redbirds perched on the fence together and looking dead center to my soul. Three, you ask? Yes. We lost Andy’s father first, my father just months later and after 18 more months, my mother. When we moved to Village Lane they followed…the three. They remained there for our duration on the Lane.  Yet again we have relocated, and I believed they were gone for good. However, I’m here five months later and I am happy to say, some very verbal sweet precious redbirds have found me.

I now know…I’m going to be okay.

~~Shane Jackson 

As I mentioned earlier, I received another message too. From God. He knows what He did, and I’ll keep it a blessed secret, and only say “I hear you loud and clear, and I know you are watching over me. Thank you.”

I now know…I’m going to be okay, too.

**For the inquiring minds, who want to know: Does it involve another bundle of joy with ten fingers and ten toes, I can say with absolute certainty…..NO!!!