Insult and Injury

I heard a loud thud against a sunroom window the other day. I was nearby and looked out just in time to see a beautiful grey and yellow bird take its last breath on the boards of my weathered deck. 

I gasped and fought back tears as I thought about how fond I’ve grown of my backyard feathered friends. Many of their calls have been cataloged in my Merlin app over the past year or so. Not to mention that one time we rescued a newborn red-bellied woodpecker and named him Cool Whip; an adventure I will not soon forget.

There was no rescue mission this time, however. This female golden-winged warbler–I’m only guessing here–had flown her last flight. 

I returned to my desk. And begin making funeral arrangements for later that day. 

No, I’m kidding. 

Sort of. 

But soon after I sat down, I realized my mountain dog had not followed me back inside. 

I ran to the back deck, and one glance at my large dog’s beard told me everything I didn’t want to know. 

The bird’s temporary resting spot was now empty, and several grey feathers were stuck to Mose’s face as he licked his lips and nonchalantly glanced up at me. 

My grief quickly turned to panic, then to frustration. I had no idea what an entire bird could do to a dog, but images of parasites and splintered bones immediately filled my mind. I was now planning an expensive vet trip instead of a simple bird funeral.

Way to add insult to injury, Mose.

After spending a good portion of the day contemplating how that bird would make its exit and communicating those anxieties to others, my daughter made a discovery when she returned from school. 

Sure enough, out in the leaf-strewn yard, lay a very slobbery warbler. 

From grief to panic to frustration to relief. 

Now I was fighting back laughter. 

Insult to injury. 

How easily we jump to worst-case scenarios. How quickly we accelerate situations. How our emotion-driven reactions can ruffle feathers, if we’re not careful.

Featherbeard Mose reminds us that sometimes things aren’t as they appear. Sometimes we need to take a few steps down from our perch. Sometimes we need someone else’s perspective. 

And sometimes we need to simply take care of the injury before insult finds it.

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