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KOK Edit: your favorite copyeditor since 1984(SM) KOK Edit: your favorite copyeditor since 1984(SM) Katharine O'Moore Klopf
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Tuesday, January 06, 2009

My Spirit Guide

My Grandma Lillian Anna O'Moore Sheppard, with my Grandpa John Allen SheppardA mourning dove; photo courtesy of WikipediaMourning doves are my favorite birds because a community of them used to sing in my maternal grandmother's beautiful flower-laden backyard in San Antonio, Texas.

Ever since she died when I was 28 or so, I've pictured her spirit embodied in a mourning dove. When a mourning dove coos at me,* it's as if Grandma has stopped by to tell me that everything will be okay. It was her birth surname, O'Moore, that I took as my surname after my first marriage ended ... and that I kept as part of my surname when I married for the second time.

Whenever it's cold and gray outside, as it is today, I yearn for spring, when mourning doves will be cooing everywhere I look.


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*The birdsong sound file is found at Bird Watcher's Digest, which obtained it courtesy of Lang Elliott, NatureSound Studio.



4 comments:

Unknown said...

What a touching testament to your grandmother!

Anonymous said...

What a lovely sentiment. The Consort's is a raccoon: it came to him after he heard of his grandmother's death, and he has seen one several times since then during difficult times.

I'm still searching for mine (unless it is that drunken owl that kept banging into the front window a few years ago when I was alone in the house; a drunken owl? I'll take it -- I really would)

KCB said...

That's so lovely--a beautiful way to connect with your grandmother in spirit. There are still lots of mourning doves in SA--they coo in the mornings and it's the most soothing sound.

Anonymous said...

This was such a lovely post. I'm sure your grandmother is smiling every time someone reads it and is moved.

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