Birds

 

Today we had a rare, heavy snowstorm—something we don’t often get in my area. 

I feed the local birds with bits of bread, creating what I think of as Bird TV for my cat. This morning felt different. Early on, I set the bread out on the windowsill as usual and wondered if any birds would brave the storm at all. 

Normally, the big, plump pigeons and turtle doves arrive first, devouring nearly everything and knocking enough crumbs down for the smaller birds below. But during the swirling snow, none of them appeared. 

Instead, the little birds came—sparrows and starlings—battling the wind and stinging snowflakes as they pecked determinedly at the bread. Watching them struggle on, I found myself seeing them differently. Those small birds are braver than I ever gave them credit for—certainly braver than the big ones. 

Georgia