Wings of Love

It has been five years (nearly six) since Pip entered our lives. He was newly hatched, falling from oh-so-very far, where my husband used to work. He waited for the mother to get him but he was so tiny and too far down, we guess. Joel watched, though. Hoping she would somehow save her baby. Most of the men there kept saying, "squish it. put it out of its misery." My husband is very gentle. He notices the very small creatures. He has a heart the size of infinity. For him, "squishing" the helpless life was not an option. What was was scooping him up and bringing him home to at least die in the hands of love, warm and safe. When I saw Pip, he didn't have any feathers. He was almost lifeless.

After contemplating what to feed him, we both decided to try soaking some goji berries, cutting them and with tweezers, pushing the small chunks down for him. That way he got water and nutrition. I ended up becoming his mommy, feeding him around the clock. Fearful, one feeding he wouldn't be with us. But after each feeding, every few hours, for weeks, he started to grow. He did. He grew and grew. Finally able to feed himself.

We researched places to take him but bird sanctuaries consider sparrows a pest. They didn't want him. By the time he could fly, he didn't want to leave. He clung to me. What to do? I don't believe in keeping wild animals as pets. I really don't. Cages are not natural or kind - except for decoration purposes. So, Pip joined our family. Sleeping in his cage but free to come out and do his dances and burry himself into my chest, pockets and hair.

Alas, birds don't live forever, I am told. Pip has slowly been losing his eyesight and has become frail and more clingy to me. I am back to feeding him goji berries by hand (along with his other fruits, seeds, nuts, grains, breads and such). I can't say how long our little family member will live. But I do know he has graced our lives with more than I could have ever imagined in the beginning.

Pip reminds me of my husband, a man so resilient and gentle all the same. My heart of hearts knows that by the time Jody makes it back to us, from prison, Pip will no longer be here to do his puffy dance or sing him his songs (he sure does love Regina Spektor!) or speak blender, vacuum, garage disposal (because when they go on he is in heaven, saying something so unique, unlike any sparrow I have heard). It makes me sad. In a deep way, facing that he won't always be around. Life is like the fragile sparrow, resilient and beautiful. We never know when we will fall out of our nest and require a gentle hand. We never know when our time is up. BUT we can all do our best to be kind and loving, noticing even the smallest of us on this planet.

I love Pip. I love who and what he is. How he has loved me and our family and for what he has taught us. Wings of love = they are the only way any of us will ever fly free.