"Just a bird!"

[greycloud]

This is beautiful!


From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a bird," or, "that's a lot of money for just a bird." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a bird."
Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a bird." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a bird," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a bird," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a bird" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it's "just a bird," then you will probably understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "just a bird" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "just a bird" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a bird" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.
So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a bird" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a bird" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a bird" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a human." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a bird." just smile, because they "just don't understand."
author unknown

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

Well, I can tell you that "just a bird" helped to relax my anxiety and is helping to bring me out of depression. To me, "just a bird" is my angel but those who have never been in a flock would never know the benefits that "just a bird" could bring to ones life!

 

[evesta]

Great post. I'm new to birds but I am amazed just to be near them. It is surreal for these little creatures to enjoy being our companions, that they want to be with us and so intelligent. They are so beautiful and something otherworldly about them. That probably sounds silly but to have these wild, beautiful creature sitting on you, looking in your eyes you feel like g*d dam* Snow White lol

 

[KatherineI]

"just a bird" has helped me immensely with my own depression, the loss of the ability to have another child (because, she is my baby now), gives me a reason to rise early, gives me something purposeful to do with my time, is my confidant.

Of course, the same could be said for "its just a dog" or "just a cat", "just a lizard" "just a horse"...

 

[BillsBirds]

Well put! As someone who has always been known as "that crazy guy with all those birds", I, too, have lived with "they're just birds". I have spent the last 45+ years trying to explain how ridiculous, incorrect, demeaning, and insulting, that is. But, most folks don't understand. I guess that's because, they're "just people"!

 

[Mare Miller]

When I took in Mi Amigo, (needed a home), I thought, "Hey it's just a bird! It's not a lion or a man eating tiger...it's just a bird". There were times when I would have gladly traded Amigo for a lion or man eating tiger, he was THAT difficult to relate to. It took a couple years to love that he's, just a bird. Not, just a bird...but my best friend, just a bird.

 

[MikeyTN]

I see my birds as my children. They're not just a bird, they're my kids. Heck, they eat better then me....lol....And when your computer, phone, facebook, photobucket, electronic picture frames, etc is filled with pictures of your babies instead of you, farmily, or friends, that gives you the answer!!!

 

[solobaby]

this is lovely, it put such a smile on my face because unless you own a bird you can never truly understand it .

 

[Spiritbird]

In addition to my Rosie (TAG) I now am privileged to have a birds nest in view outside my living room window. I cannot tell if there are eggs yet or babies due to it being so hidden in the tree. I look at this nest several times a day and feel in awe of mother nature. How wonderful it is to have birds in our life indoors and outdoors. Thank you GC for this thread. Oh its a cat bird.

 

[mcw009]

I've seen this same little essay with "Dog" instead. It makes "I will... take long walks" make considerably more sense...

I've never really had anyone say something like that to me. I kind of surround myself with people who understand it's never "JUST" an animal. My parents don't really like birds but if/when one of my boys passes on, the last thing they'd say is, "Calm down, it was just a bird." It would never cross their minds.

 

[artemis]

"just a bird.". Well, the person saying that is just a human. There are over 7 billion of those on this planet, so he/she isn't anything special. (Looking at it strictly from a conservation standpoint, my birds are of more worth to the world than I am!)

A life's a life, and no life is "just" an anything. It's all precious.

 

[echoskybound]

I remember one time seeing some comments on a group about wildlife protection and conservation... some people said "They're just animals. Why do you guys care so much?"

No living being on Earth is "just" what it is. To be honest, though, I'd probably rather be surrounded by dogs than people sometimes ;]

 

[PortaPerch]

In some book it says something about man having dominion over all the animals...

 

[MikeyTN]

I just remembered one thing, my family USED to think it's just a bird. They took care of Cracker the Quaker for me for several years until I finally got a house. They didn't want to give him up so I waited until they were selling their house to bring him home. When Cracker was murdered by a dog I took in, my family was devastated....They loved him like part of the family and they even dream about him, it brought me to tears that Cracker made my family understand the feeling of having a bird as one of the kids.

 

[happycat]

I hate when people use "just a bird", "just a cat", "just a bird" and "just an animal" overall.
They arent "just animals" They are living, breathing creatures just like us, with feelings and personalitys.


What would we do without "just animals!"