Dorothy Booth, known as Dottie to her family and friends, lived a very full life before she passed away surrounded by her loved ones at the age of 97. One of Dottie’s main sayings during her lifetime was, “Be good…but if you can’t be good, be careful.”

Dottie’s daughters Debbie and Jeanine spent a lot of time with their mother in the final months of her life. Just before she died, the sisters asked Dottie to send her a sign that she was in heaven once she passed away. They specifically asked her to use a cardinal to give them the sign so that they would know it was really from her.

The day after Dottie’s funeral, her family had gathered to play one of her favorite card games when they heard a sound outside the kitchen window.

When they went to go see what it was, they saw a cardinal sitting there calm as can be, as if he was waiting for them. Unlike most birds, the cardinal did not flee when the group of humans approached him.

Debbie and Jeanine knew right away that their mother was sending them a sign that she was alright. They eventually tried to release the cardinal, but he would not fly away!

When Debbie tried to give the bird a launch to freedom, the cardinal instead flew in a circle and landed back on her shoulder. The bird clearly did not want to leave them!

The bird eventually left only after the sisters set him on a branch. Debbie and Jeanine could not have been happier, as they knew for sure that their mother was safe in heaven!