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“Relishing the Moments”
We sat in the van, waiting for Barbara to return
with Italian ices. Harley, a Blue and Gold Macaw, pecked Linda’s shoulder and gave a raucous shout at odd moments.
I sat behind them, holding Sky, a tiny blue and white Parakeet, hanging upside down in his cage. Cochise, an Umbrella Cockatoo,
somersaulted in the cage next to me. Eight parrots in their individual cages, were muttering and chattering behind me.
One sounded like a man telling secrets.
We had just come from a nursing home where Barbara gave a session in pet therapy. Linda, her partner, was the
driver. I came along for the ride.
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| COCHISE |
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| LINDA AND HARLEY |
Barbara arrived with the ices. Peanut Ice for Linda and Harley.
Italian fruit for Barbara and CieCie, who sat next to her. CieCie, a Moluccan Cockatoo, wore a sleeveless sweater to
prevent her from plucking herself. She loved the ice, and never stopped taking tiny bites. I didn’t ask
for Italian Ice, but when I tasted Barbara’s, the creamy topping and fruity juice provided a luscious taste. Like
CieCie, I wanted more.
“What about the others?” I asked, fearing the birds would
be jealous of the two favored ones in the front. Barbara scooped her ice and turning around, handed me the spoon to
give to my neighbor. I opened Cochise’s cage and extended my hand to his beak. No. He was not
interested. He only wanted to chew the shreds of newspaper lying in the bottom of the cage. The parrots in the
rear chattered louder. Barbara left the front seat, opened the back door, and went to the cages to give a bite to each
parrot. They all deserved a treat. They had worked hard. We all did.
We sat in serene pleasure. Barbara’s playfulness
brought the flock together, with and without feathers. I thought of William Blake: “Whoso would love, must do
so in minute particulars.”
-Sister Therese Monaghan
-Sis--
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