by John Youngbauer

Created on: July 31, 2011

Birdie, the Perfect Budgie!

Birdie was a little, blue female parakeet that had lived most of her life in a small birdcage. An elderly woman was her custodian and the old woman was growing senile. A caretaker, my wife, took care of the old woman as she was dying. And the old woman gave the parakeet to her caretaker. Then the old woman died.

Birdie was now our responsibility, our little feathered friend! How to take care of her?

We did some research, looked up about how to take care of budgies.

The first thing we noticed, Birdie couldn't fly! She had been confined to a little cage for so long that she forgot how to fly!

We set up some soft blankets and laid them on the floor. With Birdie perched on our fingers, we let her go .... Oh, flop, flop, flop! She landed hard—but okay! First flying lesson done!

She flapped her wings and made a good try! And she tried and tried again!

We gave her "flying lessons" many times. And she got better and better—she learned to fly!

We didn't have the heart to confine her to her cage. We left the door of her cage open. And she could go ... wherever she pleased! She flew into our library area and got behind books and chewed and munched on all sorts of paper things! She was a happy birdie!

This story has two parts. Birdie was confined for many years. She forgot her natural talents and abilities. Then, she learned to fly! A new awakening!

Sometimes the plight of Birdie happens in our own lives as well. Circumstances get us bogged down. We get "set" in a way of life that is oppressive and debilitating. Our "wings" are clipped and our natural abilities are ... lost, or seemingly so!

But Birdie was in for a surprise! Something new was coming on the scene!

And, what a new life was set before her! Something unexpected! She met a new "friend," a male budgie—and love blossomed! The little, oppressed, "no flight" Birdie ... found a family—and produced a happy, joyful brood of energetic and "crazy wild" offspring!

The story of Birdie, the Perfect Budgie, continues on in the next installment. You don't want to miss it! There are parallels that are relevant and helpful to all of us. Sometimes we can learn valuable lessons from the creation all around us.

Birdie, the Perfect Budgie—Part Two

My wife went to a local supermarket and became acquainted with one of the check-out girls. She told her the story of Birdie and the check-out girl said, "I have a green, male parakeet that I'm trying to get rid of and I would like to give him

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