Books and Birds

“We must all be intentional in noticing and affirming what’s beautiful in our world. This practice lifts us all up.” —Maria Rodgers O’Rourke

When my shipment of paperbacks arrived, the delivery person strained to carry the weighty box from the truck to the porch, according to the doorbell videocam. True, the box was branded “HEAVY” with a neon red sticker. On the footage, I also noticed a bird flying back and forth, to and from the front door. Further exploration revealed a bird’s nest carefully crafted in the hydrangea wreath hanging on the door. My family knows from experience that when this happens, we must avoid using this entrance for a few weeks. Inconvenient for us, to say the least! The last time it happened, I vaguely remember vowing to use an alternative form of door decoration in the springtime. However, it’s almost officially summer—aren’t the birds supposed to be “finished” having young by now?

The next day I saw the mother with twigs in her mouth, pausing nearby on her way to the nest. As I mused about the bird’s species, I contemplated the risk involved: building a nursery in such a precarious place. On the other hand, predators would be less likely to attack the hatchlings in that location. This parent’s instinctual choice will protect the future young and allow them to thrive until they can fly away on their own. My amateur research led me to conclude that we are hosting House Finches, which live in our trees and bushes all year around. These little brown-feathered creatures have a long breeding season and are known for being social and loud. I realized that this brief annoyance will produce more lovely songbirds in our neighborhood. Interestingly, I can also say that our new paperback is “social and loud.” As a collective group we wrote an inspirational book with a powerful message!

P.S. My box-opening “reveal” video may be found on the ‘Rising’ page if you scroll down to my Instagram photos. To read more about birds, finding hope, and making a difference, check out Maria’s delightful chapter called “A New Day” in Rising with Resilience.

Box of new paperbacks!