Working Spirit

Sunrise in my backyard in Woolwich, January 24th, 2011. My Mom died at 4am.

I packed my bags and headed to RI. It was bitter cold and the sky was very blue. I felt glad that my Mom had passed on such a day. It seemed the perfect sort of day for spirits. When I shared this thought with my daughter Kaitlyn on the phone earlier, she agreed, and remarked that on a such a day the veil between this world and the next is very thin...

Wisps of angels travelling alongside of me...

A woman papoose bird angel...

I saw my mother...

The next morning, this little bird showed up at my brother Ken and sister-in-law Bernice's house outside the kitchen window - they said that it was the first time they'd seen her at the feeder. It was a Caroline Wren, my sister Debby's favorite bird. I said, "I believe that's Mom..."

My sister Sue took pictures of her, too...

The night before, I'd pulled this book off the shelf in the guest room to read before sleep. It looked comforting, and I was glad that it was written by an Edna, my mother's name. I showed it to my sisters and brothers, and we decided to name our little visitor after the author.

Edna Brown.

Edna's Six. (photo by Bernice Simmons)