For the Young, the Old, and Those in Between

When I was growing up, I would sometimes stay overnight with my Aunt Emily. I would wake up to the raucous sound of a flock of Blue Jays waiting for Aunt Emily to throw out pieces of bread to them on her patio. I delighted in sharing this activity, watching the Blue Jays race to grab the morsels in their beaks.

Now, many years later, birds still delight me, and I realize I’m not the only one who can’t stop watching them from my kitchen window.

Birds offer special delight to “shut-ins,” people who are homebound. Perhaps they are in a wheelchair. Some of my friends have older moms who can’t leave their homes except perhaps for doctor visits. But with bird feeders outside their bedroom windows, they look forward every day to the birds flitting, flying, and eating, so full of life!

Children love watching the birds at the feeder too. Whenever our grandchildren come over, I either fill the feeder ahead of time or let them help me do it; that way, there will soon be lots of activity to watch. The girls cheerily tell me they see the red Cardinal or the bright Blue Jay.

When I’m home, I admit that I am easily distracted by the goings on at the feeder. The birds are just so beautiful, and they have such personality! They often perch on nearby trees, waiting for their turn at the feeder.  

Then, once they’ve retrieved their food, they fly back up to the branches to dine in peace.  

Little do they know that I have been watching them, and that they have brightened my day!