Bear with me, I'll try to edit so this isn't a novel, but it might be longer than I expect.
I was walking down our alley yesterday enjoying the breeze and listening to the birds chirping when a movement at my feet startled me. To my surprise a little bird (a junco) was hopping along in front of me. It was clearly injured. So I watched it for a minute or two hoping it would fly off or at least get to a safer location.
Nope. This bird was not doing well. I crouched down and slowly got closer talking softly so it wouldn't be scared, (who was I kidding? this is a WILD bird!) and put my hand out. To my surprise it put a little claw on my hand. I took this as consent to touch it and gently picked it up and carried it home. I wasn't quite sure what I would do once I got there, but I knew I couldn't leave that little bird for the local kitties to find.
So, the girls rushed around and got out our old hamster cage and little food and water dishes. We set the bird in there with everything and put it on the back deck to have some quiet to recover. It seemed to be doing well, hopping about, eating etc. After a while we took it to the grass to see if it would fly. Nope. So, back into the cage. We brought it into the house and put it downstairs in a bathroom to have a sleep and see if it would recover.
It didn't. This morning it was clearly not doing well and it was only a short time until the poor thing expired. I know I should have done the merciful thing and put it out of its misery but I just couldn't do that. I knew it didn't have long anyway.
OK, so now for the lesson part. I was feeling bad and was telling myself I should have just left the poor little thing to its fate rather than trying to help. I went to the cage to dispose of its little body after the girls left for school and what do I see? A little palm cross (the girls made them in church yesterday) sitting on top of the cage. I choked right up. Even if I made the wrong decision in bringing that little bird home, I made the right decision. I got to see that my girls have beautiful hearts and feel sympathy and compassion for even a tiny little bird.
Just thought I would share this one for all you other mushy hearted folks out there. You get to hear about me disciplining my kids when they do something wrong, so I just thought it would be nice to let you know that my kids do some things very very right.
I was walking down our alley yesterday enjoying the breeze and listening to the birds chirping when a movement at my feet startled me. To my surprise a little bird (a junco) was hopping along in front of me. It was clearly injured. So I watched it for a minute or two hoping it would fly off or at least get to a safer location.
Nope. This bird was not doing well. I crouched down and slowly got closer talking softly so it wouldn't be scared, (who was I kidding? this is a WILD bird!) and put my hand out. To my surprise it put a little claw on my hand. I took this as consent to touch it and gently picked it up and carried it home. I wasn't quite sure what I would do once I got there, but I knew I couldn't leave that little bird for the local kitties to find.
So, the girls rushed around and got out our old hamster cage and little food and water dishes. We set the bird in there with everything and put it on the back deck to have some quiet to recover. It seemed to be doing well, hopping about, eating etc. After a while we took it to the grass to see if it would fly. Nope. So, back into the cage. We brought it into the house and put it downstairs in a bathroom to have a sleep and see if it would recover.
It didn't. This morning it was clearly not doing well and it was only a short time until the poor thing expired. I know I should have done the merciful thing and put it out of its misery but I just couldn't do that. I knew it didn't have long anyway.
OK, so now for the lesson part. I was feeling bad and was telling myself I should have just left the poor little thing to its fate rather than trying to help. I went to the cage to dispose of its little body after the girls left for school and what do I see? A little palm cross (the girls made them in church yesterday) sitting on top of the cage. I choked right up. Even if I made the wrong decision in bringing that little bird home, I made the right decision. I got to see that my girls have beautiful hearts and feel sympathy and compassion for even a tiny little bird.
Just thought I would share this one for all you other mushy hearted folks out there. You get to hear about me disciplining my kids when they do something wrong, so I just thought it would be nice to let you know that my kids do some things very very right.