As I sit upon my porch, looking around enjoying life, I noticed a wobbly baby sparrow jumping on the ground, and then onto a low growing leaf. She snuggled into a small spot, encasing herself in the safety of a large sunflower that was hovering over her, as though protecting her from the onslaughts activity above her. A crow squawked overhead and she hunkered down hiding within the leaves.

I sat throughout the day watching to see if her parents came to her rescue. I noticed in the flower beds that there were numerous babies with their parents, wings flapping and mouths open. Parents were fluttering around finding food and bringing it back to their offspring in numbers. However, for this little babe, nothing. Every time a parental bird stopped nearby, she too flapped her wings and opened her mouth. But unlike the others, there was know-one. It was heart breaking when nature slates one and not another for survival.

This little bundle of joy was not going to survive, unless somone stepped in to help. As we rehabilitated a wild bird before, and already had the knowledge, we decided to take it upon ourselves to help this little one. From sunrise to sunset we went out and fed her. We had to feed her every hour. After a week, she would recognize our movements, and with excitement, she’d jumped onto the railing, flapping her wings, with mouth open waiting for us. Another week went by and she began eating on her own. It did not take her long before she started to fly. It was small at first. Flapping her wings from plant to plant in the front flower garden. Then she went from a plant to a small tree and then from the small tree to the large oak across the street. With each flight her bravery grew and so did our pride.

With each night she flew across our suburbia road to her “sleeping tree”. It is a gigantic oak tree, full of leaves and other sparrows chatting away. Our little baby was growing up. As any parent, we would cringed as fast cars drove by, oblivious to her flying around.

For months, the whole entire summer, we watched her. She became self-sufficient and independent. Awww! We sighed a sign of relief as our baby was now on her way.

As morning broke, we noticed her on our porch. She was excited and happy. In the next breadth she took to flight across the road to her favorite tree. However, this was a memory that would be burned in my mind forever. As she flew low, a fast car came around the corner and hit her head on. She had no chance. The person driving, oblivious to this little life around them, continued on.

It broke my heart to have to bury this innocent soul. I often was asked the question of whether or not the fate of this tiny bird was slated at birth and was I was only extending the inevitable?

Someone asked me, if it was worth it. I stated with absolute clarity, “Yes”. Our existence effects others lives and create ripples that can be felt throughout time.” Although her life was short, she filled ours and will never be forgotten.

I have an assortment of bird feeders, chipmunk feeding stations, bath areas, wood piles and lots and lots of flowers, trees, and bushes for rabbits, possums, bees, birds and butterflies. One might say that I love nature and my yard shows it. However, I also have, a bordering neighbor who tends to put out traps, bird reflection devices, and poison on the lawn to deter, what they call ‘pests’.  

Speaking of neighbors, I often wonder what goes on in their mind as I set up my ‘natural’ landscapes around my home.  Periodically, we still do the courteous ‘hellos’, but I can almost see the steam coming out of their ears during the greet. 

So, I would love to continue to have my natural landscaped home, however, I feel guilty and saddened that –  where I invite bees, butterflies, chipmunks, and other critters – my neighbors hopes for sterility and a wild free lawn, creating an environment of agonizing death for those that I invite.  

So my dilemma. 

I see only these options,

1. Sell my home and move to a place where there is no people.
2. Give in to the ‘Jones” and mow the place down
3. Keep the place as is in hopes that it will drive the neighbors nuts and they will move.

What do you think?