Share and Voice: The Eagle Feather

We are all connected. My definition of "we" is not limited to the human race but to every animal, rock, tree, and body of water. We are one entity. I believe that our lives as humans "begin" and "end" with the earth, and even when a person physically dies their spirit or soul lives on. Perhaps it is just a notion I have concocted to comfort myself in the face of death or loss... I don't have sound evidence to back my belief up. But I truly feel our physical bodies were created by the earth, just as is a tree or a flower. Our souls infest a body until the body no longer functions, then the body returns to the earth and the soul moves on.

When I was about three years old, a new family moved in three houses down from my own. Cindy and Mike, their two daughters Brittany and Brianne, and eventually a third child named Michael. Their family, with two little girls close to my age, and my own family became fast friends. They didn't live close by for long, but the friendships and bonds we created still exist and will last forever.

While I have many wonderful stories about Brittany and Brianne, this story is more about their mother. Cindy was quite possibly the most beautiful person I have ever met, inside and out. In 2004, barely beyond the age of 40 and after a long and intense fight against cancer, she passed away. I can still remember her voice; She was one of those people you just never ever forget.

One of Cindy's favorite places was Lake Ada. Every year, our families and a whole slough of other close relatives/friends would gather at Ada for summer vacations and autumn getaways. Eventually, Cindy and Mike bought a cabin on the lake. Lake Ada was Cindy's sanctuary, as it was for all of us. We all share an intense love for this place; for every tree and trail, for the lake (I swear its water is healing!), for all the memories, and for all the time we have spent there together. Lake Ada stirred up a passionate love for nature and the outdoors in all of us.

Lake Ada

The summer after Cindy died, I spent a weekend at "the cabin". One morning, Brittany and I were laying at the end of the dock, just watching the clouds and talking, when an eagle began circling above us. We both fell silent and watched. It soared back and forth... around in circles.. and stayed for countless minutes before flying away. I remember suddenly just  feeling a sense of security or "peace", if you will. I will never ever forget the moment when Brittany quietly breathed,

"Thats her. Thats my mom. Hi mom."

And I believed it. Without a second thought or even a fleeting moment of doubt I believed with all my heart that Cindy was right there floating above us saying "Hey girls. I'm right here".

When the bird flew away, Brittany and I rose from the dock and began walking toward the cabin in silence.  I watched her come to a halt, bend down and pick something up from the grass in front of her. She turned around and, without a word, held it up for me to see. It was a freshly dropped eagle feather. We exchanged smiles and didn't talk about the experience for the rest of the weekend. There was really just no need for words.

This is Cindy :)

"The soul is not born; it does not die; it was not produced from anyone... Unborn, eternal, it is not slain, though the body is slain."
   - Katha Upanisad (as quoted by Emerson)

While our physical bodies die, the rest of us remains. Treat our lovely mother earth with respect because our relationship with her is eternal.