Life Lessons from a Bird: Finding Purpose and Resilience

So yesterday, I was at a store getting my car battery replaced—it was just that time. I was inside, speaking with one of the attendants as we prepared to complete the transaction. Since the battery was under warranty, we were working out the swap.

Suddenly, we both heard a loud KABOOM. The attendant immediately said, "Oh no, the sign must have fallen!"

Me, being inquisitive (and a little nosy), asked, "The sign?" I walked toward the entrance, opened the door, and looked around—but I didn’t see a sign. I said, "No, there’s no sign..."

And then I saw it.

I screamed. Like, really screamed—the kind of scream you'd think was for a murder scene. But it wasn’t that.

It was a bird. A bird had flown straight into the glass window and hit it so hard that it dropped to the ground. I yelled, "Oh no! A bird hit the window!"

The attendant came rushing over, then another one followed. We all stood there looking at this bird. It had clearly broken its neck. My whole body reacted—I was in complete panic and emotional overwhelm. It was a mix of little ‘t’ trauma and big ‘T’ trauma all at once.

The Power of Compassion

I jumped into action and started praying. I spoke to the bird softly: "You're OK. You’re healing right now. God, please save this bird."

I could see it breathing. Its little body was rising and falling with each breath, but it wasn’t moving—just frozen. I told it, "You’re just knocked out for a bit. You’re going to be alright."

I held my Reiki hands over it and sent it healing energy. "Stay there as long as you need to," I whispered.

The attendants went back inside to finish the battery process, but I stayed outside—crying for this bird. "You’re going to be OK," I kept saying.

It felt like 20, maybe 30 minutes had passed, though it was probably just 5. Then—slowly—the bird sat up.

"It’s OK," I whispered again, speaking over it in love, healing energy, and soft words. People walked past it, cars pulled up near it—but the bird didn’t move. It stayed still, like a little statue, just absorbing healing energy.

A Moment of Reflection

I kept affirming: "Your wings are healed. Your legs are healed." And then it started to move its little legs. I was like, "You got this, you got this."

Death felt near in that moment. It sent me spiraling into thoughts about life—how often nature is harmed by the structures and systems humans create. Not intentionally, most of the time—I really believe that—but still, the impact is real.

It was all very theatrical for me emotionally. But in the end, the bird flew away.

And it left a little white deposit behind. You know the kind. I laughed and said, “I guess that bird got the st knocked out of him, but he’s alright!”

Finding Strength in Vulnerability

And the moral of the story? Sometimes in life, we really do get the st knocked out of us. But we still rise. We stand up. We fly toward a new destination because we have a purpose.

Just like that bird, I know I have a purpose too. Even in the moments I feel like no one is praying for me—I remember that someone is. Even if it’s just me.

In reflecting on this experience, I believe that even small moments have profound lessons. Healing is possible. Compassion matters. And every creature has the right to its journey, no matter how fragile it may seem in that moment.

Now, more than ever, it's crucial to remain connected with nature, not just to observe but to protect it. We can only build a better world if we acknowledge the impact we have, even inadvertently.

Every time something unfortunate happens, like a bird hitting a window, it serves as a reminder. We can help lower the impact of these structures. We can raise awareness and make changes. This is our responsibility.

So next time you see a bird, remember its story. Remember resilience. Life teaches us so much through its simplest forms.

The bird's struggle resonates with all of us. We face challenges daily. However, like that bird, we have the strength to recover and soar once again, regardless of how hard life hits us.