GUIDED BY MY INNER CHILD

I think we all access our wonder child from time to time. I consider it a blessing that I can do so. Seeing a sight that you don’t see often brings her out for me.
I started feeding the local birds. I was looking out our picture window at them on a recent morning, thinking that I need to replenish their food. I was preparing to don my winter clothes and trek out into the cold. Suddenly I saw, with horror, that one of the local hawks had pin-ned a screaming woodpecker to the ground.
At first, I thought, “Oh, that would be a great photo-graph.” Then, the little child in me took over and said, “You must help that poor birdie!”
So, out of the door I stomped, yelling at the hawk. It merely flew up with its intended breakfast and landed about 100 feet away. I proceeded to follow and threw up my hands, yelling all the more. The hawk released the frazzled woodpecker, who escaped to a nearby tree. The

hawk looked somewhat puzzled, then flew away further.
I stood in my pajamas yelling and cursing at the small hawk, which was only doing what came naturally. I shook my fist and warned it that I didn’t set up my bird feeder as its personal fast-food restaurant.
Life in the quiet country can get interesting.

Linda Rosenthal (Dec.’20) adds, “I find my child spirit a great comfort in these challenging times.”