Birdmark

Do you remember the day you were born? Most of us don’t. I assure you, it was a big day! Some of us have memories of that day, because the people who were there have told us what happened. It is where each of our stories begins.

When my youngest son was just a toddler, he asked about a brownish mark on the calf of his leg. I explained to him that it was called a birthmark, which means he was born with it. Soon after that, he began telling everybody his own version of the day he was born.

“On the day I was born,” he would begin the story, “there was a big earthquake! The window flew open, and a bird came in the room and left a mark on my leg. See, right here it is. That’s how I got a “birdmark” on the day I was born.”        

             Another big day is when we leave home. Whether we leave before our parents are ready to let us go or at their insistence that it is long overdue, it is a leap into the unknown from the comfort of our nest.

These two events are what inspired me to write my first children’s book, Baby Birds. 

I have been blessed to have three beautiful babies and watch them grow. I so enjoyed motherhood, that I rarely thought about the days they would leave to start their own lives. It is bittersweet. The birth of my first grandchild brought the wonderful circle of life into full view for me, and Baby Birds was born.

The story follows a baby bird from birth through the many stages of growth to the eventual and inevitable leaving of the nest. Then, the cycle starts over again. While researching for the book, I discovered how alike the phases of little birds are to our own children’s stages. Some studies indicate that birds make an emotional connection in choosing a mate that is much like our human instinct of “falling in love”.

After many months of labor, I am excited to announce the arrival of Baby Birds. The book will be available for purchase at Amazon.com, and I will have a local book signing in the near future. I hope to see you there!