Blessings to all in love and peace,
The Universe sometimes works in mysterious ways to bring us to the place where we are meant to be just at the time we are meant to be there. My two sons recently lost their dad from this world. Their dad was a master carpenter and electrician (and a very talented musician) who had built his house and did all the finishing work with my younger son helping on some projects. As they worked together his father explained the complete operation of the house. Since my older son is career Army, his dad knew he and his wife would never be able to use the house - so all his hopes and desires rested on my younger son and his wife eventually taking over the house and property - which they did shortly after their dad passed.
The first few weeks were difficult. His dad seemed to be everywhere. My son could feel him in the house and on the grounds. Every time they made a change, my son would wonder "would dad approve?" His dad had lived alone and had become a perfectionist and a minimalist. No frills, everything in its place. etc. etc. Now there was a woman in the house and there were curtains on the windows, pictures on the walls and family keepsakes rested in special places for display.
Every night my son's sleep was filled with dreams about his dad. And they were worrisome: his dad walking around the house shaking his head, his dad looking straight at him, wearing a frown.
One dream was very explicit about the bathroom - there were girlie things on the counter, makeup, perfume bottles, all the things a young woman needs for her daily routine. His dad showed all this to my son in his dream but this time my son spoke up to him, "Dad, she is a woman. She is a professional and goes to work every day and wants to look her best. This is what women do, you just forgot. It's been a long time since you shared a home with a woman. You and mom have been divorced a long time." In his dream his father just shook his head in disapproval and walked out of the bathroom. His father never spoke to him in his dreams, maybe because his dad died of throat cancer and couldn't talk the last few months of his life.
My son had many sleepless nights spent worrying about his dad. How was he? Where was he?. Was his dad happy now that his suffering was over? Had he found peace? This went on for six or seven weeks. The house was located in a rural area on an overgrown field his dad had reclaimed to lawn. My son worked dilligently on the upkeep and improvement of the property (hoping his dad would be happy with that part of it).
About two weeks ago, my son walked out onto the small upstairs deck right off the kitchen and there in the hot sun lay a baby bird, so frail, hardly any feathers, its life ebbing. He looked up at the eves where he knew there was a nest but it was too far up and he couldn't reach into the very tiny space without hindering the other babies. He softly picked up the bird and brought it into the house. Emptied a Kleanex box, added a soft layer of shreaded tissue and put the baby in.
He then went on the internet to find out what to do. He followed the directions. 1. Keep the baby warm - if need be cradle it in your hands for warmth. 2. Place a heating pad under the carton for added warmth at night. 3. Cut a plastic straw to be used for feeding. 4. Feed the baby dog food nuggets soaked in water and made into a fine mash.
My son did all of these things and the baby grew and thrived. In a matter of days its feathers started to fill in. Its legs grew stronger. It was able to perch on my son's finger. It chirpped and chirpped and gobbled down its food. My son added some mashed berries and grapes to the water soaked dog food nuggets - the baby bird ate heartily.
I hadn't been aware of any of this when I called my son about a week ago. He told me all about the bird and I said I would come up in a while and take photos (a habit of mine, I take photos of everything). I was amazed and astounded by the beautiful relationship my son had developed with this tiny creature. "Is it safe for you to touch her," I asked, since he was hoping to reintroduce the baby back into the nest.
"Yes," he said and explained that he had read that it was okay and the parents wouldn't reject it. Readying for the reintroduction, every day he had placed the baby in the tissue box on the deck railing nearest to the nest and observed the parents approach as the baby chirpped to them. He did this every day so the baby could maintain contact with its family. It worked.
While I was there, he showed me how he fed the baby bird, how it perched on his finger, how strong it had become. He placed it back onto the counter in its box when it suddenly jumped out of the box and hopped around on the counter. My son was shocked - it had never done that before. It stretched and flapped it's wings and chirpped away. I took many photos. I just couldn't believe what I saw! This tiny little creature was near death only a week or so ago and now it had grown strong and healthy under my son's care.
He put the baby bird in its box out on the railing below the nest. There was a lot of chirpping coming from the nest. He said it often "talked" to its siblings this way.
I took loads of photos and left. My son and his wife were coming to my house for dinner that night and I wanted to stop at the store on my way home. Later that evening my son and his wife were late for dinner but they were all smiles when they arrived and told me why thay had been late. The baby had actually made its way up into the nest (with a little help from my son)! It had actually tried to fly but couldn't quite make it up that far. My son reached up to where the baby was precariously perched and barely hanging on to a roof tile. The baby hopped into his outstretched hand and as my son stretched as close to the nest as he could reach, the baby was able to leave his hand and fly the shorter distance back into the nest.
My son called yesterday to tell me that the birds had left the nest the day before and that very night he had another dream about his dad - but this time his dad was smiling.
My son asked him if he was happy and his dad said "Yes." My son asked, "Then its all true,dad, there is a better place?" His dad smiled and again using his voice said, "Yes, it's true. I'm okay and you don't have to worry about me anymore. I'm very happy." My son said his dad then looked around the house and back to my son and smiled. Had he come to terms about the changes made in the house or had he now worked throught the things he needed to work through in his afterlife?
My son said his dad looked happy and healthy again - but not like he'd ever seen him before. He was peaceful but bright- not glowing just bright, peaceful and loving - but still his dad.
So, was it all just a coincidence? Do you believe in coincidence?
Or is it God, the One True Source, helping us along our path, sending us helpers along the way? Sometimes these helpers are angels. Sometimes they are friends. Sometimes they are among God's smallest creatures, sent to give us comfort and love. In helping others - be they big or small - we help ourselves along our path.
And I leave you that to ponder...
Blessings to you all in love and peace, and
please, always look to a Brighter Morn