Thursday, July 29, 2010

i held a dream







Dreams are sometimes fulfilled in unexpected ways. Opportunities to claim the dream or live it even briefly are offered, perhaps, more often than we realize. What is required is that we be aware in the moment, that we pay attention. In that awareness and attention opportunities come to light. Action can be taken, and if it is, we taste nothing less than the elixir of our truest selves.

This morning, I held a dream.

It began with me passing a splash of orange on the side of the road as I drove to work. The splash registered in my brain as my favorite bird of summer, the baltimore oriole. 2 clicks down the road my instincts kicked in and I made a U-turn. I decided to get the bird off the road, place it in my car and  bury it in my garden after work. With traffic barreling past me, I bent to scoop the feathers and found, to my great surprise, the oriole was still alive.

It was limp and breathing and offered no resistance. I held it with reverence. I began a soft litany of love and prayers on behalf of this wounded bearer of juice and sunshine feathers, this singer of dulcet and tender tones. Time ceased to exist. It mattered not if I was late for anything. All that mattered was the exquisiteness of the sudden dream fulfilled, the dream of seeing a favorite bird so close and honoring its great beauty.

I tore a leaf from the ground and set the bird in its protective palm. It was the best chance I could give the oriole to recover from its trauma and lift itself skyward again.

It did not recover.

I found it, many hours later, expired on its side with the leaf beginning to curl around it.  I tore another leaf and used it as a shroud. I placed the orange bird, now covered in green, under long grasses and said my good byes.

I said thank you, as well. For in that sudden, morning awareness, a  brief and mutual gift occurred.

A never-to-be-forgotten dream came to life.

A passing was made more gentle.

And I drank deeply the elixir of my truest self.

12 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh. You are the sweetest, kindest soul, ever, and that truly was a dream. I am so sorry he didn't make it, but surely you did make his passing more gentle.

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  2. Oh,so beautiful. So dear. So sweet. And so sad.

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  3. All the picture on your blog looks awesome. The bird in the pic is so cute. Wish if I could hold it.

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  4. What a beautiful gift for both of you to be able to share those moments.
    And he/she was so intensely gorgeous!
    Blessings wafting their way up & down the heavans!

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  5. it is no accident that these birds find their way to you. you know that, right? god pressed a wingtip against your forehead when you were but a glimmer of the bright light you would become, marking you for all time, and it is a beacon for these little souls. lost they they may be, soon to be gone, sometimes already gone, they find you anyway. always.

    xoxo
    Debi

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  6. that you give of yourself such acts of kindness and grace never ceases to amaze me.

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  7. you have stopped me in my tracks.
    thank you.

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  8. utterly, heart-stirringly beautiful

    i am shaking my head in amazement

    thank you, thank you for the gifts you bring to our world!

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  9. What a beautiful, beautiful bird and what a gift for both of you to have assisted in it's transition to spirit.

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  10. Beautiful story and beautiful post. I had an experience like this once, but I wasn't fortunate enough to care for it and help it to know that many in the world around it care what happens to such precious beings. I treasured its spirit instead, but not until after I once passed it by. Something kept my bird waiting for me to take care of. I used that moment to help tell a story about responsibility and awareness on my blog. http://joyfulmara.blogspot.com/2009/07/poor-little-bird.html I'm happy that I share this space with people like you who understand what it means when nature crosses our life path like this.

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  11. how wonderful that he was loved before he died....i would have done exactly what you did.

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  12. I love this post. I have held the little birds that are leaving in the palm of my hand too. Gorgeous pics.

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I always appreciate the time you take to comment on my blog. Thank you for stopping by. Peace from my heart to yours. xo, Graciel