Magic Message

This is a story about a remarkable little bird and I hope you will see that its message applies to us COPD'ers.

Sometimes Mother Nature just astounds me. A case in point is found in an example I saw just the other morning. This occurred as I was going through my typical morning routine. One of the things I do every morning is fill the bird bath that sits on the rail off my deck. I always like to make sure my feathered friends have clean water to drink even though they occasionally take baths in that very same water. Anyway, I was standing at my sink filling the water jug when I looked out at the bird bath to see a sparrow sitting on the edge getting its early morning drink of water. I didn’t give it another thought until I went to the door a few minutes later to go out on the deck and fill the bath. It was then that Mother Nature took me by the hand and taught me the very valuable lesson that I am going to share with you today. Let me begin by telling you that this was no ordinary bird. But before I share with you what was so special about this little sparrow, let me give you a play by play. I stood at the door for a few more minutes to wait for the bird to finish drinking before I opened the door and scared it away. After standing there a few minutes, with the bird showing no sign of leaving, I got impatient and decided to go out there and fill the bath. I opened the door and stepped outside and was surprised that the bird didn’t fly away. So I slowed my pace and thought I would see how close I could get before it saw me and took flight. Well, it never flinched even as I got to within a few feet. As I crept even closer, it became obvious to me why this bird didn’t fly away. This bird had no eyes! I would guess based on how it looked that this was a birth defect, as the bird didn’t look hurt or injured in any way. It had been surviving like this for some time it appeared. I could have literally grabbed that bird if I had wanted to but then it suddenly flew away using its wings to feel its way through the tree above. I was amazed at that encounter and very impressed by this little bird. What does this have to do with wellness and healthy living? In a word, everything!Just as that sparrow had to adapt to survive, so must you. Adaptation, in my opinion, is one of the critical keys to successful lifestyle change. You see, as I watched this sightless bird feel its way through the branches with its wings, I was struck by the power of adaptation. Mother Nature has given that to us humans as a birthright but most people never truly test its potential. But, for those of you who want to turn that dream of healthy living into a real life experience, adaptation is the key. Even though this bird had the odds stacked against it, it was still able to find its way and live its life. Remember this little bird the next time you struggle with adapting to healthy living.