The Mural

 

The Bluebird Story

While my husband was still terminally ill, my daughter-in-law’s father found out he had pancreatic cancer.  He fought a fearless battle, but ultimately passed away on March 6, 2020.  Toward the end of his life, he shared with his family that he would return to them as a bluebird.  This man was a gentle giant, an Italian, originally from Brooklyn, New York.  He specifically said “bluebird, not the blue jay” would be his spirit sign.  After his memorial service on March 11, my daughter-in-law returned to her home to find a bluebird sitting on the gutter above the garage.  The Eastern male bluebird is bright blue with an orange chest.  Some believe the bluebird is a symbol of joy and hope; or that good news will be arriving soon.  Others, like our family, think bluebirds represent a connection between the living and the deceased.  Worldwide the bluebird has many meanings to different cultures, all positive and encouraging.

Directly behind my son and daughter-in-law’s home began the construction of a greenway project in 2019 that had been in the planning since we moved to Cary in 1992. The White Oak Creek Greenway would be the last segment to connect the existing greenways and therefore offer a trail from Raleigh to the American Tobacco Trail in Durham and be part of a trail stretching from Maine to Florida.  The delay had been due to the railroad track that crossed the proposed area because CSX still ran a single freight train daily along this track.  This is the same track that passed through my backyard all these years. In order to accommodate the trail, a tunnel would have to be constructed under the tracks.  This was an extensive and expensive project, but it finally came to fruition.  In 2021, the segment between MacArthur Park Dr and Davis Drive was completed with a boardwalk leading behind my neighbors’ houses and leading up to the tunnel.  I lived next door to my son at the time of this construction.  The greenway didn’t really affect my home, but the tunnel was almost directly behind my son’s backyard fence.  The town had entertained much opposition by neighbors over this project due to many issues.  My disapproval was mostly of the clear cutting of massive oaks and pine trees that had served as a buffer between our neighborhood and Davis Drive. This clear cutting was necessary to install the tunnel and unavoidable, but very disheartening. Now we could see and hear the traffic on Davis Drive.  That is the price of progress I suppose.  

 A local muralist, Lisa Gaither, was commissioned by the Town of Cary to paint a mural on the concrete face of the tunnel entrance/exit on both sides.  My son’s house was basically the only house that would have a direct view of the mural.  I suppose to avoid any future conflict the town of Cary had the courtesy to ask my daughter-in-law and son their opinion of the design.  It was colorful and beautiful with native flora and fauna.  My daughter-in-law made one “small” request.  She asked if they could incorporate a bluebird into the mural in memory of her father who had recently passed away.  Normally, changing a pre-commissioned town project would take an act of Congress I suppose.  The town and the muralist simply agreed to honor the request.  It was fascinating to watch the artist work beginning in the spring of 2021 and finishing both sides of the tunnel by the end of August.  The project started on our side from right to left and each day more and more color appeared on the once plain concrete.  At the very end on the left side of the mural, the closest to my son’s home, was painted a beautiful bluebird.  Nothing had been deleted to add it there. The space was the perfect spot for the addition.  This wasn’t any tiny little bird either.  It was a very large part of the design.  Now every day, my son and daughter-in-law can look out their back windows and see the bluebird artwork, in addition to the visits they get from the real Eastern bluebirds that frequent their yard.

Tammy Harvey

1/8/2023