As some of you know, Checka Antifonario and I have made two albums* of guided meditations/relaxations for kids of all ages (including adult ones!). One that Checka wrote, which is on Rainbow Walk is the Bluebird story. In the story, the child finds a baby bluebird who has fallen out of its nest. With care, love, and patience the child is guided to provide a piece of bark and wait. The baby bird finally hops on and as the child is guided to be “your most gentle self”, the bird is lifted back to the nest.
This morning I had a similar experience. My dog, Zeus, was focused on the 4 ft-deep window well that provides light for the back basement room of our retreat in the country. Peering in, I saw a fledgling desperate skirting the edges of the well, circling round and round while its parent’s call could be heard in the trees above. When I first walked out this morning, I noted that the bird’s music was louder than usual, and how lovely it was to hear their songs. Having seen the predicament the fledgling was in, I now understood that the loudest and most persistent birdsong was from the parent; a song of emergency, of watchfulness, and perhaps of guidance.
After putting the dogs inside, I found a couple of branches long enough, and with enough perching places. I set those inside the well and left. When I came back with my camera, the ending video bleep startled the bird. It fluttered against the window and fell down in the well again.
Taking lessons from Checka’s Bluebird guided practice I realized….”PATIENCE, SHAKTA!”
With that I went back indoors myself and sent good thoughts, being my most gentle self toward this little fledgling. A half hour later the well looked like this.
Success! No more parent-bird song in the air….
Thanks Checka for the remembrance—it is not about me, it is about helping!
* Album titles: Rainbow Walk (ages 3-8) and You are Made of Energy (ages 9-14)
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