1/8/2025:
There’s a cardinal sitting on my balcony right now. Have you ever heard the theory about cardinals? The little red birds with a mohawk? The theory is that every time you see one, someone from your life who’s passed away is coming to check on you. I never really know the reason they visit, but I like to believe that someone from beyond the grave is watching over me.
Last night, while I was at work, I found myself missing my former client more than usual. He passed away a couple of years ago, and I think about him every day. He made me believe in all the good in the world, and I miss that. I miss holding his hand at night or singing the chai song every morning while listening to Franz Schubert. He was so grateful and had so much love for the world, even at the age of 101. He inspired me in so many ways.
In my line of work, we have something called “soul clients”—clients who are a perfect match for you, where you work together so harmoniously that it feels like you were meant to meet. I think he was mine, and I wish so badly he was still here. I can’t wait to visit his grave this summer and pour out everything he’s missed since I moved, but until then, I hope he’s looking after me, just as I looked after him.
1/17/2025
I wrote the snippet above about a week ago, and what’s funny is that while I was in Canada, I randomly walked into an Arabic grocery store. There, I saw all the food my client used to eat and heard the same music that played throughout his house. It made me think that he heard me when I was writing about him.