Ladybugs remind Schaefer of his mom. Whether he was going through something good or bad, or needed a hug, he happened to see a ladybug and it served as a timely reminder that her love is always with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom always told me to never kill ladybugs, always let them go because it\u2019s good luck,\u201d Schaefer said. \u201cWhen she passed away, I\u2019d see them everywhere. They\u2019re all around the house, they land on me all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abear was visibly choked up from the Schaefers\u2019 ladybug story. She remembers noticing a cardinal in the family\u2019s back porch one day and sending a picture to her husband, who said that cardinals are known to symbolize a loved one who has passed, coming back to say hello. After losing her husband, she sees the little red bird all the time \u2013 on her window, the back porch, on the road \u2013 spotting them when she needs it most.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day we came home from his funeral, a cardinal was sitting on top of one of his books,\u201d Abear said. \u201cNow, five years later and they still come. I see them all the time, especially when I\u2019m thinking of him and need to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a lot of families, cardinals represent a deceased loved one. When 16-year-old Isabella Tolley talked to Schaefer, she realized how much they have in common in terms of how they cope. She lost her father eight years ago, but the grief is still heavy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has some similar ways to think about loved ones who have passed away,\u201d said Tolley. \u201cJust like the ladybugs for him, we see cardinals all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n