This morning.. my friend brought attention to a small sparrow that sat listless in the driveway. I shared with her -- I am going to be present and see how I can assist.
In our own silent moment, I told the sparrow, "i am here to assist". Her head turned around & her soft, gentle eyes looked up at me. Some tears of awe welled up in my throat. I reached over and scooped her up in my hands . We sat together, just being one.
After many minutes of holding her in love, I began to notice every thing about her. How precious the ways her wings were so small and delicate -concaving and tucked within her. She was in stillness, this small sparrow -utterly trusting and surrendering to my holding and my lullaby.
Her life force began to grow, ever-slowly. I noticed her breathing expand, her head turning around often to look at me. In an unexpected recovery, she began to 'chirp' and move about -as if coming out of a shock. I kept seeing her 'healed and whole' - coming back to life! In fact, i KNEW of this life, as I had a glimpse of her 'taking flight' with my inner eyes. We waited peacefully together, singing, ... breathing... celebrating .. her restoration.
During the slow, stretching movement of this small, delicate winged one, -I witnessed her strength returning. First, she shifted her 'legs under her'. I could literally FEEL the energy returning to her small little webbed feet. She began to try out her wings -moving them, flapping; intermittently. Finally, in her time -she jumped off my hand onto the earth nearby. We waited together some more. She gently leapt onto my foot now, still flapping her restored wings.
Her chirping now was STRONG -- a continuing song, as her head was bobbing about, sending out the message to her winged family of her return.
My heart was leaping for her, as she jumped step-by-step out of site, making a nest of safety in the stone porch until her wings fully recovered.
This was my meditation today: A witnessing of another that had disconnected from that full-powered life within! She had 'first' - to remember her breath and find her 'song'. And in partnership, we waited, holding a lantern for new life.
In order to find her wings -her foundation had to return. I knew I could continue to 'hold her'; yet, I recognized the power of attuning to that fine, powerful moment, where she would trust the strength of her own legs to take the 'next step'.
While this was a spring time experience years ago -it reminds me of our journey of winter: from dark to Light.