The Robin Reminds Us...

The Robin reminds us...

In January of 2020, as I ran during seemingly mostly cloudy, damp winter days, birds seemed to chirp endlessly. I'd never recalled hearing such levels of a variety if birds calling out in any state, especially the one I reside in, during the month of January. Let alone the winter months. Back then, I took it as a sign. I didn't know why. I just did.

It did remind me of a friend I have. She is practically old enough to have been my mature mother. She's in her 90s now. She, now retired from law enforcement. It's been years since she worked all sorts of assault cases. Brutal, bloody assault cases. I know because the ones that haunted her, few she could not solve she told me about one evening two years ago. And they were probably the most heinous cases one could know. That evening as I sat on a heavy bag in my basement that night, she began. I listened to her tell me of the unsolved cases for ninety minutes.

Her and I have had many conversations over nearly the past thirty years we've known each other. One day she said to me, "When I see a cardinal I know my Mother is present." She has said this over those nearly three decades I've known her, probably a good three times. However, after the first time, it remained in my mind. Just the way she said it, voice and all remained.

So, today as I sipped my morning coffee after all chores were done, and my children were in school. I saw what I've now seen for the past few mornings. A Robin looking directly at me, sitting on the green metal posts to help correct a now over five foot tall Red Maple tree I pulled from our lawn about five or six years ago when it was merely an inch in height.

Every morning this Robin looks at me straight on as if to tell me something. I thank it, and God as I do every morning only it now seems expanded to this one bird. At night as in the morning to this day, I hear birds chirping seemingly every day, clearly. So clearly as if I'm being delivered a personal concert from nature and God.

This morning these reminders brought me to do some research on Robins. They represent patience and wisdom. ---Jody-Lynn Reicher

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