9:03am – my phone alerts me to recite 3 things I’m grateful for. It’s a habit I’ve recently started doing more with every day. there are constant reminders to be grateful around my house; from whiteboard notes in the shower to post-it notes on my fridge. Today, I didn’t need a reminder to be thankful. In fact, as the alert on my phone popped up, I laughed because 3 items of gratitude seemed so small compared to the wave of gratitude and beauty I’ve experienced this morning.
Before I got out of bed, I spent an hour reading the latest news in the tech industry and playing with augmented reality apps. I drove an augmented reality RC Car on my bedspread and floor. My dresser looked a bit bare, so I put a placed an AR statue of the Buddha. next to the ‘real’ pictures of my family. Getting out of bed, I scanned my picture frames with Aurasma and saw my family pop out to greet me on my screen. In this case, it was a video of my brother dancing. Laughter is never out of style. I read an article about the founder/CEO of Secret – which was one of the most incredible statements I’ve ever read from a CEO. I emailed him a note of encouragement and appreciation. 7am. Amazon Flow App – game changer.
However, that’s not the point of this blog – to discuss technology in a play-by-play. It’s meant to give a frame of reference.
The above comic strip is from Calvin & Hobbes, a comic our entire family grew up reading. I really love when people treat me like I’m missing out when they hear I haven’t read the latest Harry Potter. Moving on.
I was sitting on my patio yesterday, and noticed a few people stop and stare around an object across the street. It was in the middle of a very busy high-rise driveway. A bird kept coming back as well. Eventually, I saw it moving and watched – in horror – as a car pulled into the driveway. It couldn’t have missed the object by more than 2-3 inches.
“Mark, I’ve gotta go. Hold on.” I said to my brother, as we chatted on the phone. I grabbed a kitchen towel and quickly ran across the street to see a small fledgling bird. Bringing it to my patio, I placed it in a small cloth box with an open top and filled part of the box with torn paper towels so it could nest. Per the instructions of the Wildlife rescue, I hand-fed it small pieces of soaked dog food. I was incredibly hesitant to take it to a shelter because I didn’t know if the mother would come back and feed the bird.
This morning, saw the mother bird perching on the edge of the box and feeding Jerry (I named him) regurgitated insects. She’s feeding him while I write this – as well as watching him from the perch of a street lamp.
This little bird has really had an impact on me, because I identify with it in a lot of ways. On several occasions over the past year, I’ve ‘fallen from my nest’ and wasn’t able to pick myself up to safety. No matter how hard that bird tried, it couldn’t get back to its nest, or even feed itself. It took the love and care of somebody to bring it to safety, provide nourishment, and keep a watchful eye to make sure it was safe. As my family and several close friends have come to my side in times of difficulty, all I could do is receive and chirp my gratitude.
Jerry and I are still a few weeks/months away from being able to fly free, but we’re in this thing together.
What a beautiful display of life.
No Comments