SPRING

NEW LIFE

NEW BEGINNINGS

I LOVE SPRING

I HAVE A FRONT PORCH

I HAVE A ROCKING CHAIR ON THAT FRONT PORCH

YOU WILL FIND ME THERE OFTEN THIS TIME OF YEAR
THE OTHER DAY WHILE ENJOYING THE ROCKER ON THE FRONT PORCH I NOTICED A LITTLE BIRD. NOW THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN LITTLE BIRDS MAKE NESTS. AND THIS LITTLE BIRD WAS NO EXCEPTION.

HE WAS BUSY HOPPING AROUND THE YARD COLLECTING STICKS. HE WOULD GRAB ONE AND FLY OFF, ONLT TO RETURN FOR MORE. I MUST HAVE GOOD STICKS.

I SLOWLY ROCKED AND ENJOYED THE SHOW ANTICIPATING EACH RETURN. AND THEN IT HAPPENED …

A BIG STICK !

WELL, THIS LITTLE BIRD MUST HAVE REALLY WANTED THAT BIG STICK. IT WAS A MARVELOUS LOOKING STICK. WOULD CUT BUILDING TIME WAY DOWN SO HE GRABBED IT IN HIS TINY BEAK AND TOOK OFF.

THE STICK PUT UP A FIGHT. IT WAS BIGGER THAN THE LITTLE BIRD AND WEIGHED MUCH MORE. IT WAS AWKWARD IN DESIGN AND SIMPLY WOULD NOT COOPERATE.

TRY AS HE MIGHT, THE LITTLE BIRD COULD ONLY FLY A FEW FEET AND THEN WOULD DROP THAT MADNIFICENT TWIG BACK TO THE EARTH. HE WOULD NOT GIVE UP. HE COULD NOT GIVE UP. HE FINALLY DID.

SO THE LITTLE BIRD WENT HAPPILY BACK TO HOPPING AROUND MY FRONT YARD - PICKING UP SMALLER STICKS. I’M SURE THAT HE MADE A WONDERFUL NEST.
DO YOU SOMETIMES TRY TO DO MORE THAN YOU SHOULD, MORE THAN YOU CAN, MORE THAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECCESSARY AT ONE TIME ?? THE RACE TO THE FINISH LINE IS SHORTER THAN YOU THINK. THE MORE ATTRACTIVE ONE IS NOT ALWAYS MORE SUITABLE. THE BIGGER PIECE IS OFTEN TIMES TOO MUCH.
FOR THE LITTLE BIRD THE NEST WAS BUILT, SLOWLY AND SURELY. AND WHAT MATTERS MOST IS WHAT THAT LITTLE NEST HELD INSIDE . . .
PEACE&LOVE&JOY!

MICHAEL JOSEPH FRANCIS STARLING
PLUGNSPANNER

{About the Author}

BORN AND RAISED IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA TO 2ND GENERATION ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS. GRADUATE OF BISHOP MOORE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. FIREFIGHTER / PARAMEDIC FOR 20 YEARS. HUSBAND, FATHER OF 5, GRAND FATHER OF ALMOST 10. PRESENTLY A GENTLEMAN MINIATURE HORSE FARMER IN TENNESSEE. EX-HIPPIE WHO IS STILL A JESUS FREAK.