Hubs thought our cockatiel Lucy was lonely.
"She needs someone to play with" he insisted.
"Honey, I think she's is perfectly happy. She's quiet, she's eating and very affectionate."
"Maybe you're right." he said. Then turning back to Lucy he said "Well maybe not."
"She's fine!" I insisted.
I assumed the matter was settled because he didn't bring it up again.
Until Saturday.
I was at the beauty salon getting highlights when Hubs found Doodles.
The aging proprietor of the flea market booth assured my husband that the little bird was not only weaned but at least four months old.
Either the man wasn’t entirely truthful, or didn’t know much about birds.
When I came home and realized that a unilateral decision and had been made to add another bird to our family, I was pretty ticked.
For about 29 seconds.
Until I saw her.
She was simply precious. So small. The piteous hunger cries and lack of interest in bird seed convinced us both that she was far younger than her reported four months. She wasn't able to eat solid food. Underneath her feathers, she was thin and obviously hadn’t been fed enough.
That quickly changed,
She's been gobbling formula out of a syringe with the fervor of teenage boy after football practice. I didn't think anything that small could put away that much food multiple times per day. It’s a delight to see her eat and thrive
Lucy was perturbed and territorial at first. After all she was giving up sole ownership of her Daddy. And when Doodles is big enough to leave her baby cage, Lucy will be forced to share her space with an interloper. But Lucy is the nicest of birds and we both know she'll be ok when Doodles moves in.
Tonight after Doodles' evening feeding, her crop was full of nourishment and she settled in for an hour long nap. Cuddling in my hand, I rubbed the back of her neck where her feathers are still coming in while her head rested against my chest. Every now and then she'd emit a soft "cheep. As I stroked her little crown and pin feathers, I couldn't for the life of me remember what I was mad about the day she came to live with us.
Because of Doodles, I’m required to sit down for an entire hour each evening to do something good for both bird and mom. Instead of running around like a mad woman, I comfort and nurture a little bird after she eats, and in exchange she does the same for me. It’s amazing how holding a tiny, dozing life against my heart can be so calming, so healing. So good for the soul.
Maybe that’s how God feels when we are dependent on Him.
Do we ever really know what’s best for us?
Perhaps not. Sometimes finding the beauty isn't always our forte.
What a relief to know that God does it so well.
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