I was lighting a fire in the wood stove a couple nights ago and it was burning briskly (no shortage of tinder in a freshly unpacked house). I was just shutting the door to the stove when small bird shot through the flames and landed on my chest, clenching my sweatshirt and calming surveying the room. We've all seen panicked birds, trapped in places they don't want to be, crashing into windows, but this bird was different. After resting a bit on my chest, the bird flew around a bit, exploring. The picture I wished I would have gotten was when it landed on the kitchen counter next to a stack of books - all the books for the coming Book Club meetings - and looked for all the world like it was reading the titles. I was too busy running around, looking for something to catch it while keeping one eye on it, to think to snap the photo. Without a better plan, and given the very calm behavior of the bird, I just reached out my hand and picked it up. It didn't even struggle, it just looked at me while I took a couple pictures, then flew away when I opened the door, stood on the deck, and opened my hand.I've thought about this bird since then, and how it obviously came down the chimney somehow, and faced with a fire elected to fly through the flames and into the room instead of away from the heat, back up the chimney. I can't help but feel there was a bit of a lesson there for me, maybe for all of us. When things got tough, the bird didn't panic. It embraced the experience, and it learned from it. Most importantly, it accepted a helping hand . . . .
7 comments:
What a beautiful story. And a happy-end!
Some years ago I witnessed a smilar situation, not a bird in a stove, but still similar in a raging snowstorm in Norway with temps far down low...this is always an event to remember!
*~ ♥ ~*
European Greetings
Beatrice
Wow, what a great story and photos!
The other day I was driving to work, and a bird flew into my truck, I looked in rear view mirror and saw it's wing flap from the ground ...I was beside myself, crying my head off by the time I got to work...I then went out the front door and there was a bird slamming into the window in the foyer trying to get out...I shooed him out the door to freedom...it helped me deal with killing one...God gave me the opportunity to save another! Whew!
Nice story Steve...and the bird...how adorable. Is it an adult? It looks like a juvenile to me. It's a wise observation too...adversity teaches when we are willing to learn.
That's surreal. The bird had the natural instincts that man and woman lack sometimes.. Push through it. But sometimes it is better to turn aside or turn back. A moth drawn to the flame does not make the right choice. I think it is the dove of peace blessing your home bro.
This is my husband's motto. "Whatever happens, don't panic."
Being married to him has been a learning experience for me. I've learned to panic less.
Great story and what a pretty little bird!!!
I think this little fellow was most assuredly a messenger. What a wonderful story.
Now, about 10 years ago a bat came down my chimney...what was the message there?
Cheers!
Nice post Steve and as usual your perspective on this occurance makes me think too about why things happen and the way they happen. Sort of like the path we choose in life. I've always had the philosophy that "everything happens for a reason".
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