Brave heart, Brave bird, Brave boy.

Bonjour mes amis!

                         Once again I find myself learning a tough lesson this week peeps, one that has brought me to my knees. I really don't like learning things this way, but it seems that when I do, that is when I grow the most. My life is but a long journey to one destination and by the time I get there I will have grown to be the complete person that God wants me to be.  So I say bring on the lessons God and give me a brave heart, grace and patience to endure them.

                        Story time: O.k well here it goes, a few weeks we had a fire in our pellet stove that caused a lot of damage to the stove. How we we woke up in time and actually survived was a miracle in itself, but a story for a another time. Anyhow, through the smoke my little brave blue was forgotten and endured what must have been horrible pain with every breathe he took. My other brave boy Ben, ran down and endured the smoke to save my blue ( without permission). When I had seen what he had done I almost burst into tears but I couldn't because we had people over that night and I wanted to be brave, so they would not be scared. I don't think I ever thanked Ben for going to get blue. When all the smoke was gone I checked on all three of my guys hubby included (who was in the smoke the most) and all of them showed no sign of being sick or hurt. I am pretty sure afterwards when all was said and done I said a quick prayer, but not a really thankful one. Now I wish I had. After all we had survived but it wasn't really all that bad was it? I was so wrong.
                       A few days later I walked by Blue's cage and he was acting goofy, he was doing his mating dance, chirping and putting his play toy on his head. To him I was his mate and lovebirds mate for life. He wanted me to take him out and play with him and I was to much in hurry to do my chores. All that day I walked by his cage and he whistled at me or banged his food bowl, but to no avail I didn't stop to play. He did all he could to get my attention and I ignored him to go on with stupid things that didn't matter. That night when I went to feed blue, he was stumbling over and fell into his food bowl face first. I screamed at Tom to come look at my Blue and Tom looked at me with sad eyes. Blue was about to become a victim of the fire.
                    For the next few hours I snuggled him up in a pink blanket and he went from o.k to passing out and then back to o.k. He even fell sleep with his favorite sunflower seed in his mouth. Birds usually when sick die fast and without much warning, so I knew I only had a few hours with my Blue. In the morning in a pink blanket was my baby, who I fed by hand as a chick and for 8 years gave me so much love, was gone.
                 The lesson, as hard as it was to take is as follows: I always felt Blue was safe in his cage. Not much could happen to a little bird who was up high on a entertainment center away from danger (the cats). I just felt that I didn't have to worry about him he was just fine where he was he didn't need much. WRONG again. Only later did I see a parallel between my Blue and my Ben.

                What God wanted me to see was that I thought my son Ben was protected and sheltered. I  felt like I needed not spend so much time on him because I thought that he was safe. He is a big boy right? He can take care of himself right? Wrong, I was so wrong. When my son acts out, acts goofy, gets in my face and annoys me, he is trying to get my attention. When he does stupid stuff, gets angry, or gets out of control he is saying "LOOK AT ME"! What he needs from me is to be there, to see him, love him even when he is moody, crabby or just plain disagreeable. He needs me to laugh at his stupid antics and smile at him to show I care.
       Peeps, one day circumstances may get out of control like smoke, and may not show its ugly damage until later on if you don't watch. You must be there to protect your child, to see the first signs of smoke drifting up to the sky before it turns into a fire you can't stop. Just because he/she is older and bigger doesn't mean they need less attention. Life, laundry, and the pursuit of busyness can wait, your teen can not, hug your teen today.
         Thank you God and Blue for this little life lesson.