Deus Ex Machina is a phrase that made itself ever evident on a cold November night. It was in the late 1960's in a small Arizonan town and was one of the few towns that still ran early model locomotives. It often made for good and quick travel between destinations, however on this night it brought something else.

On this night it was accompanied by something old yet familiar, you see these townsfolk had lived here for generations and a special thing happens when one digs their roots deep. Spirits were this train's passengers and they would be far from unwelcome. Fathers, daughters, great grand dads, and any sort of member that bore a tie to their hearts. One by one they arrived on this dear old train for a visit.

After the train had stopped the spirits guided themselves to their respective families. Sadly they could not reveal themselves in this state as is the way of all good souls, but instead they did something even greater. One by one they came to their descendants, their loved ones and passed on a comforting feeling. Passing of a peace of mind so tender, so loving, that it melted away the scars of their leaving this world.

Of course this was true for all but one little spirit. It was the soul of a little girl who found herself at a creek near to her family’s home. This girl however was a slightly different kind of spirit. She was known, mourned over, and yet also never truly known at all. As she sat there playing with a nearby cat her family took notice of her. To her surprise they could see her, or perhaps something allowed them to.

The kind family invited her into their home, keeping an eye on this little girl until they could find who they thought her parents might be. However as the girl ran around the house, the mother of the house took notice of her traits. She looked too familiar to be randomly found. She looked just like her, with the father's eyes. Hesitant, the woman aske this girl her name. With a bit of hesitation in the girl’s voice she subtly smiled and said, "Cadence". The woman then broke into tears and ran to her husband. You see, this was their daughter, or would have been. Shortly after her birth she had passed away. Since then she had watched over them, growing and learning in a new home, a new place. Cadence had come this night to let her mother and father know that she was fine and that she cared for them deeply.

Tragic things happen in everyone’s lives, sometimes what you lose seems so great but ties of the heart cannot be broken. Cadence said that she loved her family and that she was doing well. It was all she really could say to them with such a short time here. Even still her parents cried tears of relief, she wasn’t lost, not taken away from them forever, and Cadence was far closer than they ever really knew.

It was with that Cadence said her final goodbye. All the spirits had to return, having spent time with their loved ones. It was time to return to their special place in the light. This wasn’t a goodbye but more of a “we’ll meet again one day".

As the train departed towards an unknown destination, this small Arizonan town now had a calm and clear peace of mind. Your loved ones are always there, watching over you. If not in sight then even closer...