Bird on the Window Sill

I was reading an article about grief.  It mentioned that people who are grieving frequently imagine that their loved one is still around, perhaps as a bird, dog or cat.  This reminded me of a episode from a few years back.  After a few dates, a man I knew invited me to visit him at his house near the beach in Wilmington, North Carolina.  He seemed like an okay fellow, I loved North Carolina as a child, so I said "yes."

As soon as I walked into his house, I was afraid it was going to be a long weekend.  Old newspapers everywhere, coffee grounds on the kitchen table, dishes in the sink.  His wife had died a few months before so I was ready to cut him some slack, but it was difficult.  I quickly retreated to the space his daughter had prepared for me.  It was a refuge amid the clutter.

It wasn't too long before I noticed a beautiful red bird.  It was sitting on the sill every time I looked out of the window.  I imagined that the wife's soul was lingering.  I started talking to the wife/bird.  I found out a lot about this man who was brutally left behind by her sudden death.  Enough to relax more than I thought I would.

We had a good time that weekend.  I didn't tell him about the bird, but he owed that creature a lot.

And so did I.