Bye Bye Birdie

Several years ago my daughter begged us for a pet. She ended up with a bird whom she quickly fell inlove with and babied. Then as so many kids do she fell back out of love with him and he fell into a slow descent into being a second thought. We had to remind her to play with him, feed him, water him.....everything.

My daughter left us to live with her father in Utah not long ago. Bubbie (the bird) remained behind. Bubbie probably loves me more than anyone in this house and that is because I talk to him. But the truth is, I HATE BIRDS! They scare me. They flap in my face. I just know they want to peck my eyes out. So we have found someone who wants a pet. Someone who will take him out and play with him, love him.

Suddenly I am all weepy over this stupid bird. Its just one more piece of my beautiful daughter that is leaving me. I miss so much about her. Her smell, the sound of her foots steps as she would run upstairs to her room after school. Her laughter. I loved watching her run cross country....gawd she is awesome. And now I think I might even miss her bird. I won't miss the mess, I won't miss the racket he can make, but maybe its the picture I have in my mind's eye, of a little(er) girl coming home from the pet store with this gray and white bird in a brown paper bag, all excited to tell me how he had picked her! That she held out her finger and all the little birds scattered except this one who promptly hopped up on her finger and tottled up her arm claiming her as his own. Thats it! I miss my little girl. I still hate birds.