the songbird

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."
~Maya Angelou

Our 13 year-old dog Cosmo has decided to bark obnoxiously until we give him what he wants. What he wanted when Nola came over was a walk, and Cosmo barked so relentlessly that Nola and I gave in. I walked Baru and Nola walked Cosmo, and while the furry boys sniffed and peed on everything they could, Nola and I checked out the the landscaping in the yards we walked by and the clouds in the evening sky. The temperature was mild, not scalding like last week.

A bird flew over us, singing while it flew, and perched at the top of a small dead tree. We stopped near the barren tree and were treated to an incredible variety of calls and songs. It was a tiny, plump little bird, and it just kept singing. Nola thought it was lonely and looking for another little bird of its kind, but it sure seemed to enjoy giving us a concert. Once it even tilted it's head down as if to bow, letting me see it's dark little cap. It's colors were difficult to distinguish in the evening light, but it seemed pale underneath and grayer above. Then it flew away, and we continued our walk.

Small miracles remind me that life is still good. Small wonders like the little songbird giving us a concert, like the vibrant seashell rose blooming in the yard, or the clouds glowing with the setting sun. I don't know the answers, but I can still hear the song and enjoy the sunset.