For the Birds

I hung a bird feeder on one of the trees in the backyard a few weeks ago. And since then, I’ve made some interesting observations about some of our feathered friends. Now Sparrows...they’re like the Chatty Cathys of the bird world. There can be 15 or 20 of them all out there at the same time just chatting up a storm. Talking about the kids and the price of nests these days I’m sure. And the regal, red Cardinal...well...he’s a bit of a chicken. He always sends in the little woman first to see if the coast is clear. Starlings are like the backyard gang of birddom. They make a lot of noise, act tough and chase everybody away. Now the feeder is too small for the Bluejays and Crows to perch on. So, they just sit on the fence and glare. Occasionally flipping me the feather. Mr. and Mrs. Mourning Dove are quiet souls. Too big for the feeder too, they just wait at the base of the tree for spillage. I’ve also observed that there’s someone else who’s been observing. The neighbor’s cat. And you can see it in her face. Hmmm...snack food...in assorted flavors. After rereading this column I think I have one last observation. Maybe I’ve got too much time on my hands.

All The Laughter, All The Tears...

The heart has just one door. And when we open that door to joy...we’ve also opened that door to sorrow. Of course, we can choose just how wide we want to open the door. Some of us will choose to keep the door wide open. And there will be great joy in those lives...and great sorrow. Some of us will choose not to open the door as wide. For whatever reason they will not allow themselves to feel the great sorrows in life. They must realize though that they will never experience the great joys in this life either. I think Kahlil Gibran probably described it best in his essay on love. What he was saying was this. Those of us who choose not to open our hearts will laugh, but not all our laughter. And we’ll cry, but not all our tears. And maybe that is a much safer way to go. But the human heart is capable of giving and receiving great love if we let it. So, for me...I want to laugh all my laughter. And for that I’m willing to cry...all my tears.