A Message from Cynthia
There are moments in life that quietly invite us to become more than we imagined.
Not because we were ready, but because something deep within us knew there was more to see, more to feel, and more to understand about who we are and why we’re here.
Song of the Cardinal emerged from one of those moments.
It began in a season shaped by sudden change, but it quickly became a journey of intuition, courage, connection, and unexpected guidance.
What started as survival and personal search for meaning unfolded into something far larger—a reminder that transformation is possible for any of us, at any time, no matter what we’re facing.
Song of the Cardinal is a book about awakening. First from the horrific nightmare of loss and then to the subtle ways life speaks to us. It's about the dreams that follow us until we finally say yes, and about the steady presence of love and grace, even when the path ahead isn’t clear.
My hope is that the Song of the Cardinal experience meets you wherever you are, offering a sense of possibility that we can always begin again.
And I hope that the gifts below provide comfort, guidance, and inspiration to last long after the last page is read.
The Gift Basket
From my Heart to Yours
I knew from the beginning that my calling to write Song of the Cardinal wasn't to write a book about my life. It was to write a book about events in my life that could provide insight, comfort and inspiration to others.
And so this initial offering of gifts is designed to share some of my insights, practices and expressions to help bring the book to life and to provide you with comfort and support as you read - and also long after you've finished.
Because some of the gifts relate to specific scenes or content in the book, I've been careful to avoid "spoilers." Where that wasn't possible, I provide fair warning with a recommendation to use the gift after you finish reading.
With each gift, I've provided some background and/or the actual gift right on this page. But for each one, you'll also find a download button to your computer or phone. And if you'd like to revisit this page, feel free to do so. You now have ongoing access!
Be sure to save the link, and please keep it "in the vault" so that it remains special for those who have purchased the book. And please be sure to check out the entire "basket." There are a couple of cool sections at the bottom of it!
Thank you again and enjoy!
Grief
A Framework for Healing When Your Heart Is Breaking
Even though Song of the Cardinal isn’t solely about grief, the journey through grief shaped so much of what I learned about awakening, intuition, resilience, and meaning. These five practices supported me not just through loss, but through the becoming that followed.
Gratitude
Remembrance
Intuition
Expression
Faith
From Darkness to Light
For Grief Awareness Day 2025, I wrote a Facebook post that told the story of how and why I developed this framework for GRIEF. I shared it again in December 2025 for Grief Awareness Week. I was overwhelmed with the response from the two posts. Nearly 80,000 people reacted to it, it was shared over 4,000 times and there were thousand of comments. These five practices are the quiet threads that run through Song of the Cardinal and continue to shape the way I live, create, and connect.
My hope is that they offer you comfort, clarity, and a sense of possibility—no matter where you are on your own journey.
The download of Grief Practices includes the "Grief Graphic" I created, the original Facebook post, and a written description of the practices and examples of how we can incorporate them into our daily lives.
I Thought I Needed Singing Lessons
The Universe Knew I Needed Something Else
I don't make a big deal of it in Song of the Cardinal , but I do mention it - my fear of singing in front of other. When I contacted The Brothers Koren for lessons to overcome my fear, they gently guided me in a slightly different direction. After a courageous moment of saying “yes,” I embarked on a Songwriter’s Journey of self-discovery and creative vulnerability. I gave my heart and soul to them through deeply personal inner work—and they gave it back to me in song: seven beautiful melodies that “coincidentally” carried the emotional arc of Song of the Cardinal.
I wrote the lyrics for all seven songs and then stepped into their recording booth—still terrified to sing in front of others and armed with only two “singing lessons” in my back pocket:
“Dare to Suck!”
and
“Don’t focus on how you sound. Focus on how you feel.”
I emerged from the recording booth changed in ways I still can’t explain. But I can say this: the quest to overcome a fear of singing became a liberation from the fear of living unapologetically as myself—and it reached a deeply embedded layer of grief that nothing else could.
In the end…
It was never about singing.
It was about healing.
And now I would like to share one of the songs with you!
I think of it as my Song of the Cardinal song - Harry singing to me from heaven. But I wrote it with the hope that anyone who listened would be able to feel the closeness of a loved one. I still play it at night - my very own love-a-by. And now it can be yours too. A musical assurance that our loved ones are closer than we can possibly imagine as we hear them whisper...
Prompts to Ponder
Best for After you Read the Book
After Harry passed away, I thought reading would help. But I quickly found out that most of the books I tried...well, they just felt like work.
Now, don't get me wrong. My library is proof that I think traditional, self-help books are awesome. But during those early, dark times, I was too tired and emotionally spent for instruction. Some days I could barely get out of bed, so I definitely didn't want "homework" to do. Occasionally, I would find what appeared to be a good "story" book, only to discover writing prompts at the end of each chapter. Disappointed, I would cast it aside and resume my search.
I just wanted to read. I didn't want to think. I didn't want answers.
When I started writing Song of the Cardinal, I wanted it to be that book - the book I needed so desperately in those early days. I wanted it to read like a novel, with no chapter titles, no questions at the end, no workbook to complete.
But as I wrote, I became very protective of you, the reader. Yes, I wanted it to be all of those things. But I wanted it to be so much more.
So, at times, and against the will of my editor, I included stories I knew would resonate. Stories that had a life lesson. Stories that demonstrated practices that were helping me combat grief, make life decisions and find my way. Stories that would hopefully be a mirror for you - leaving you deep in thought of how they could, or already did, apply to your life.
And then I started getting feedback. Readers were finding the lessons. The connections. The common threads.
So my first gift to you has two components:
First - a recommendation.
Read the book with no agenda. Let yourself just ride shotgun with me on the journey. Save the prompts until afterwards as most of them reference a scene in the book and could be spoilers.
Second - Afterwards, only if you feel called to, use the Prompts to Ponder I've put together for you - to go deeper. Let them guide you into reflection, action, or just a sense of comfort. No pressure. No expectation. No right or wrong answer.
Some of my most healing moments have come from a book, a movie or overhearing a stranger in an elevator. Some of them have come with a book, a cup of coffee and a quiet morning.
See below how Song of the Cardinal has connected with readers and then download your Prompts to Ponder to use at just the right time for you!
A Story that Resonates
There’s a moment in every powerful story when something inside us says, Yes… that’s true.
Readers tell me that Song of the Cardinal speaks to them in that way—not because our stories are the same, but because the deeper themes are universal and relatable on many levels.
A Journey of Hope & Healing
We all long for meaning and to feel connected. Readers have shared that this book became a companion for healing, gently reminding them of dreams that refused to let go and inspiring them to rediscover parts of themselves they thought they'd lost forever.
A Guide for Your Own Path
Whether you’re grieving, awakening spiritually, or simply seeking connection, this story will encourage you to trust your intuition, reconnect with a sense of guidance, and notice the signs and synchronicities that are always available to show us the way forward.
The Cardinal Club
Before I started writing Song of the Cardinal, I knew that my mission was more than one book, and it didn't take long for me to realize that my mission would extend beyond books.
To speaking, teaching, and even miraculously to songwriting and singing.
But as I got deeper into writing and talking with others, I could see how building a community was foundational - for me to reach others - more up close and personal.
But more importantly to bring people together.
The Cardinal Club will be a community for us to just that.
To share. To learn. To grow. To soar.
And to have fun!
I'd love for you to be part of it!
Click below to say "yes!" and I'll keep you updated as things unfold!
Connect with Me!
I've had so much fun putting these gifts together for you! And I'm looking forward to adding even more! It's my way of saying thank you.
I've received so many gifts myself - while writing Song of the Cardinal. The gifts I treasure most are the conversations in which readers share their own stories—moments of intuition, love, grief, courage, and the surprising ways life has guided them.
So, if you feel called to reach out, please do so!
I'd love to hear from you!
Thank you again for trusting me - with your time but most of all...with your heart.
Cynthia
