Baby Bird Burials

My 8 year old daughter and I are staying overnight with some dear friends tonight and earlier I was watching after her daughter until she came home for work. The girls were playing happily and then they found a baby bird on the ground that had fallen from it's nest. It was still fuzzy and the feathers weren't even formed. It was so sad to see this lifeless creature laying on the ground after it's first attempt to fly or maybe being accidentally pushed out of the nest. Pretty soon the neighbor boys were there inspecting this baby bird too. Their mother was hollering for them not to touch it while they were hollering back...'we are only using ONE finger'. As if germs and bacteria won't affect you if you just use the ONE finger. The girls were screeching at the boys and I was on the porch trying to enjoy the weather and happy for the chance to be outside in semi-quietness so I wasn't exactly thrilled with the bird circus. The boys left for a bit and I breathed a sigh of grateful relief but they soon returned (loudly) with tiny hand rakes, shovels,trowels and various other garden tools. The girls had been trying to move the bird with leaves but the boys? They had a plan. Pretty soon the bird was scooped up onto a tiny garden shovel and now what to do? The whole thing was getting on my nerves at this point because of the level of noise and the girls bossing the boys and the mother yelling at them and then the boys deciding to chase the girls and then ME with the dead creature on the shovel. I firmly suggested that it might be a good idea to respect nature and show a little more reverence for the birds short life. 

Perhaps we should bury the bird? 

YES. 

They seemed intrigued with this idea and I was intrigued with the idea of them going back home and leaving me to my porch sitting.

I showed them an easy spot to dig and it was done and over with pretty quickly.

I 

just

 wanted

 to 

quietly

sit

on

 the 

porch

ALONE

As much as I appreciate and love children I just wasn't  in the mood. You know what I'm talking about. I know you do. I wasn't raised in a neighborhood and have not lived in one as an adult so it is a challenge for me to have the whole neighborhood show up to play. Some with parents nearby and some with no idea where there parents were. Am I supposed to watch these kids? Am I responsible for them? My nerves were frazzled and I just wanted to watch over my own daughter and her friend. 

I was glad to see they lost interest once the bird was buried and off they went in search of another adventure. Ahhhh......solitude....a little cranberry juice over ice and a salty snack and I was in business. "There, got rid of them."

And then suddenly one of the boys was back and before I had a chance to roll my eyes I was reminded of the innocence and the sweetness of even the rowdiest little boy.

Why was he back?

He wanted to mark the grave with his pinwheel.

He pushed the glittery treasure into the earth right next to where he had buried the bird and then stood there for a moment, very quietly, paying his little boy respects.

It was tender and sacred and oh so sweet and I felt like I just witnessed a baby bird funeral.

And a little boy letting me see a piece of his heart.

Annoyance slipped away and love slipped right into it's place.

Take Care of You

I went into my favorite juice bar today. It is such a feel good place...happy people....great music playing....everything feels fresh and clean and healthy. While I was sitting at the counter enjoying my juice a man came in and ordered and then leaned against the counter to wait for his juice. I glanced over and noticed a tattoo on his arm. It said 'TAKE CARE OF YOU". A message right when I needed it most....I love when that happens. Those powerful signs that we know are meant for us. Sometimes I feel too shy to speak to strangers but today the words were coming out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them. I said "I really like your tattoo, I needed to hear that today"....he was incredibly friendly and seemed genuinely touched that I had said something to him. He shared with me that he got that tattoo because that was always what his mother would tell him and other family members when they said goodbye...take care of you. It was a family thing and once his mom started saying it then everyone joined in. I am going to suggest right here and right now that we all start saying that to one another every time we say goodbye. How about even INSTEAD of goodbye....what does good bye really mean anyway??? Have a good bye??? I say let's stop that nonsense and remind each other of this sacred truth as much as we can....

TAKE CARE OF YOU. 

 It would have been too much for a tattoo but the rest of what his mother would say was something to the effect of....if you don't take care of you then you are no good to those you love or the world. His mother had passed a couple of years ago and it spun him into a pretty dark place but with the love and support of his friends he got through. I told him again how much I needed to hear that today. The daily part of taking care of YOU like exercise and eating right and praying or meditating are important but even more so the making life decisions that take care of you. The ones that allow you to be all of you. The big scary life changing things. Decisions that sometimes make other people feel bad, sad or mad. It's not easy this taking care of you idea. It takes guts and courage and a fair amount of mundane tasks in the mix...I have to hit my yoga mat...again? I just did it yesterday....I have to eat healthy EVERYday??? and floss? and try to follow my heart which could include any manner of unpleasant things. Things like living with uncertainty and walking away from relationships that no longer serve or leaving the job or house of your dreams because a bigger dream is calling you. Yes, it is risky business for sure. But even riskier to not do so don't you think? He suggested that I get a tattoo that said the same thing and ya know what? I am actually considering it because the story is just too good and the message is one of the keys to living your best life. Four simple words that form a creed to live by....

Take. Care. Of. You. 

Please do this...for the sake of yourself, your children, your partner, your parents, siblings, pets, friends, employees or employer, co-workers, your neighbor, the barista....do it for the world. And go ahead and get it tattooed on your forehead or maybe just your hand...it's up to YOU.