Female Cardinal
In the golden light of morning, she arrived—a quiet splash of red among the garden greens, graceful yet unmistakably different. Days passed before her secret was revealed: her left foot was gone, a silent testament to life’s trials. Yet, she carried herself with defiant elegance, fluttering with ease, as though to proclaim, I am more than what I’ve lost. She quarreled with jays, dined with finches, and shared moments with sparrows, her resilience inspiring all who watched. In her quiet persistence, she embodied a lesson: it is not what we’ve lost, but how we continue, that defines the beauty of life.
Image available as a print. Multiple sizes