Finding some sort of peace in the wake of tragedy.
On May 21st, 2026, NASCAR legend Kyle Busch sadly passed away at the age of 41 due to pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. It was very sudden, and in the short time since his death, tons of tributes from fans and drivers have poured in.
He left behind his wife, Samantha, and two children, Brexton (11) and Lennix (4), as well as his parents and fellow race car driver in his brother, Kurt Busch. It’s just so incredibly sad, and my thoughts and prayers continue to go out to his family who have experienced such a devastating tragedy. Samantha has shared a few posts since his passing, mostly thanking fans for all of their support:
She also shared about how she promised Kyle in the hospital that she would do whatever it took to help their kids realize their dreams:
And today, she shared a very personal post about how she feels Kyle has shown up and given her signs that he is with her, even if not there physically.
She opened up about one of the “Greatest gifts” this past few weeks has been hearing from people who have told her stories about her husband, and she says it has understandably helped her feel “connected to Kyle in ways [she] can’t full explain.” This led her to want to share her own story about a sign she feels came from Kyle, explaining that after Brexton’s birthday party, which was just days before Kyle passed, he had kicked off his sandals in their bathroom, which is where they remained.
She says that about a week after he passed, she had one of her hardest nights yet, and after giving up on sleep, she walked into the bathroom and saw a rainbow shining on his sandals:
“One of the greatest gifts these past few weeks has been hearing people’s stories about Kyle. Every memory, photo, and message has helped me feel connected to Kyle in ways I can’t fully explain and made me want to share some moments that brought me comfort over these unimaginably hard weeks.
After Brexton’s birthday party, Kyle had kicked off his sandals in our bathroom, and we never moved them. About a week after he passed, I had one of the hardest nights yet. Most of the night, I spent sobbing, wishing I could feel his arms wrapped around me one more time.
I finally gave up on sleeping and walked into our bathroom. There, shining directly across Kyle’s sandals, was a rainbow. I literally laid down on them and felt a bit of peace, like he was giving me a sign.”
Samantha knows why it happened scientifically, but she says they’ve lived in this house for over a decade, and she has been awake at “every hour imaginable, through every season and all kinds of weather,” and she has never seen it do anything like this, or even seen a rainbow there at all.
She noted that the rainbow in the photo had not been edited or enhanced at all, and it really is something. I have never seen one that bright and colorful in my life:
“I understand exactly how it happened scientifically. The sunlight was coming through our bathroom chandelier and reflecting onto the floor. But we’ve lived in this house for over 10 years.
I’ve been awake at every hour imaginable, through every season and all kinds of weather, and I have never once seen a rainbow appear here. And for anyone wondering, this photo hasn’t been edited or enhanced at all. The rainbow was truly that bright and vibrant.”
Samantha said she experienced a second moment that had her feeling like her late husband was giving her a sign while she was at church. She recalled seeing a little bird flying around through the entire service, and at one point, it looked directly at her and then flew away.
She had to confirm with her friend that she wasn’t hallucinating, and the bird eventually came right to her feet and hopped around before disappearing in the corner, which all happened at the same church they had said goodbye to Kyle at a few days earlier:
“The second moment happened at our church. For the first time since I’ve ever attended, a bird was flying around during the entire service. At one point, it flew over to where I was sitting, titled its head sideways, looked right at me, and then flew away. I immediately looked at my friend and asked, ‘Am I hallucinating? I haven’t been sleeping.’
She said, ‘Nope. I see it too.’ Later, while everyone was praying, I kept hearing a noise and thought someone’s phone was going off. I opened my eyes, and it wasn’t a phone. The bird was right by my feet, hopping along before disappearing around the corner. I know some people will say it was just a bird and just a rainbow. Maybe they’re right.
But standing in the same church where we said goodbye to Kyle a few days earlier, and carrying a grief that still doesn’t feel real most days, it felt like more than a coincidence to me. It feels like God is reminding me that I’m not alone and that Kyle is letting me know he’s okay, that he’s close, and that somehow he’s still walking beside us.”
If you’re a person of faith, like the Busch’s are, then it’s probably very easy for you to understand and accept that these things are very real, and Kyle is most certainly still with and watching over his family.
I can’t even begin to explain how inspiring Samantha has been through all of this, and it’s beautiful to know she has at least felt some semblance of comfort in peace. The rainbow photo is truly incredible:
