Happy Sparrow, Happy Me

No, there was nothing routine about a baby sparrow sitting helpless in a parking lane. Perhaps a rushing and less observing person would have run over the little lonely bird; But I will always believe that I was on assignment from God to save the life of a sparrow. The little birdie was in a very dangerous spot, and I immediately proceeded to rescue him. After I picked him up, I wondered to myself regarding the whereabouts of his mother and/or other loved ones. Moreover, at this point I did not have a clue about what I would do with or for him. I then looked upwards, lifted my arms, and released the sparrow to the opened sky. The birdie flapped his little wings and away he went. The sight of those flapping wings is forever fixated in my mind, and that moment is among the proudest of my life. No, I had not made a major contribution to heal the ills of the world, or found a cure for cancer, nor brokered a path to peace in the Middle East; But I had made all the difference in the life of a sparrow. There’s no moment that could have made me happier. From my encounter with a sparrow on a sunny afternoon, I learned a most valuable lesson. The differences that we make are not measured by us, but rather by the receiver. In a very real way, the sparrow was abandoned and left alone in a very dangerous place to fend for himself. If he needed food, I had none. If he needed water to cool his thirst, I had none. I soon realized that I had nothing of value to offer the little sparrow. That is, until I discovered that what the little birdie really needed was something I did have, and could give him. He never needed me to teach him to fly, because he was born to fly. I simply gave him a “lift”, and that was what he needed more than anything else. My happiness stems from being able to give some kind of “Lift” to our world. 04182015 PS Contest, Happiness of Life, by Nayda Ivette Negron