Sparrow and Roses

Last Sunday, as I was watering the roses that are situated against the south facing wall of the house in a long planter, I noticed the climbing Rose growing far too rampant. Its canes were attempting to enter the attic of our house. It was time to get the pruning shears and prune Rose to a more manageable shape.

Gray got the ladder and pruned the top of the rose bush. It was a quiet Sunday; other than the birdsong, there was little to distract us from working with the plants. The sun was warm and the breeze was soft. It was one of those days where it would be only too easy to fall asleep in a comfortable lounger, feet up, and a glass of lemonade within easy reach.

As Graham pruned, the world seemed hushed, holding its breath, waiting. I felt it and thought it was a strange reaction to the simple job of pruning an overly eager rose bush. The job didn't take long; the ladder was put away, and other spring clean-up duties became paramount.

But, suddenly, as we were wandering through the garden, looking for other plants that needed to be pruned here and there, a cacophony of sound exploded from Rose. And two sparrows dived into Rose...into the very back of the bush. We were astounded...there was a nest right where Graham had pruned. Oh, oh...I've had problems with birds on a nest.

Robins will dive bomb anybody too close to their nest...once I had to put off working on a section of the garden because I was literally chased out of the area, by these Robins who were intent on doing serious damage to me. The war they created with me did not end until the babies were gone. I even bribed them with food...I brought my cat Lennix with me (which only made the bombing worse!). No go, uh uh, no way.

The Robin won that war.

So even as I expressed my delight with this turn of events to Graham, there was some apprehension...would Sparrow allow me to continue working in the garden? In the war with Robin, I would have to travel half the yard to get some peace. But that was my old yard, from my last house. It was almost 4 acres...half the yard was a long way!

And here, there is only a village lot...large by some standards, but with nowhere near the room to run as my old home did.

But after the initial scolding we received from Sparrow, which was long, loud and vociferous, the birds settled down with mannerly, good neighbour intentions. And within a day, the babies hatched. The quiet I love that descends on my office when I write is gone now...at least until the babies leave the nest. Rose travels the outside wall, right beside my window! Those baby Sparrows never shut up, growing louder and louder as they grow.

Just as I am about to write a particulary succinct phrase, Sparrow comes back to the nest with a tantalizing tidbit for a lucky baby or two. And the sudden shrieking, piercing peeps startle and knock me out of the zone I'm in with absolute timed precision.

Sparrow, in a different way than Robin did, perhaps, stops me from working so hard...tells me to take time to smell the roses. Sparrow is asking if I can triumph over adversity...he's already shown me how to survive...when Gray pruned Rose, the stillness, as I mentioned, was palpable. According to the site NorthernOntario.org Sparrow is telling me, too, to look at my self-worth...is there something or someone who is making me feel less than?

Sparrow also has another message...he is telling me to assert myself. He assures me in this way I will triumph over outside circumstances.

How apropos to me this all is. I have great difficulty asserting myself, especially with my family. And when Sparrow made his nest, I was adjusting to life with Scott back again...not an easy thing for me, when I'd grown used to an empty nest. My daughter, Heidi, warned me of my passive-aggressive behavior, and it was a great reminder. There are much better ways to assertiveness; I was just so wound up I had forgotten.

I can always count on my guides and allies to set me straight, if I am only aware enough to get the message. When I ask for help, I always ask for the message to be simple...my head doesn't wrap itself around complicated communications.

Once again, the Universe heard my plea for ease in understanding...I hear Sparrow and each of the babies shouting out the message each time I go into my office.

And I have the added pleasure of watching the babies learn to fly and finally, leave the nest...