Like a Bird

I knew from the thunderous clouds and tumultuous rain this was going to be a rough landing. Sitting in my seat, eyes closed, I pretended to flap my own wings somehow thinking this would help the plane stabilize its wings. As hard as I mentally tried, I knew none of this was in my control.

An overhead announcement startled me “. . . this is your captain, as you can tell the weather is getting bad. We are going to make one attempt to land and if unable to do so, we will divert . . .”

With all the delays, cancellations, and changes in time I’d been traveling about 4 days. Physically, it was time to be sitting in a chair that didn’t move.

“BOOM” the sound startled me. Had we landed? No. We’d been struck by lightening. My heart was pounding as I grabbed the young woman’s hand next to me. She seemed to be oblivious as if she couldn’t hear or see the storm that surrounded us. I just stared at her. She didn’t even acknowledge me.

I heard the landing gear come down. All seemed well for the moment, but as we neared 100 feet from the ground the tail of the plane swung around. “BOOM” We hit the ground seemingly sliding sideways. I looked to the young woman, her eyes were fixed forward, and not an expression on her face.

When the door of the plane openned, I was one of the first to run out. Where was I going so fast? I was headed to my next flight because I was going home! As I rushed one man said, “Slow down! Everything’s been cancelled.” My whole expression must have changed because the man returned a look of sadness back at me.

Sitting in the terminal of Newark Liberty International Airport all I could do was find a seat, sit, and cry. I just wanted to go home. I was done traveling. It was fun for awhile, but I was done!

As I sat their sulking, a bird landed in the chair next to me. It tipped its head as if to say “I’m listening.”

No, it wasn’t a Ross’s Turaco it was actually a House Sparrow. None the less, I avoided direct eye contact. A woman walking past me stopped abruptly. She looked at me and exclaimed, “Is that a bird?” I looked up at her and said, “Oh good, you see it too.”

So, she plopped herself and all her belongings directly in front of me and stared at the bird. Then, she looked at me and introduced herself as “. . . Aves with an E and not an I.”

Aves seemed to be a master of birdology. At one point she looked at the Sparrow and hummed a tune. I looked at her and said, “pretty”. She looked at me and said, “It’s a bird song.” I scoffed, mentally saying “Of course.”

It wasn’t until 9 days ago that I heard what I thought to be that very tune again. What was the song? His Eye is on the Sparrow.

And then, it was time to board my plane. I laughed as I thought to myself, “Next time, I’m taking a boat.”

Reflecting on the evidence

1. Choose a song you like and explain how if at all it impacts your mental health.

Dedication

To Amplify Church in Willow Springs, North Carolina, where I first heard of Ms. Civilla Martin and Charles Gabriel‘s song His eye is on the sparrow and learned why I need not worry. I’ll link Pastor Phillip Modlin’s Sunday Service should you yearn to hear. When I’m done traveling, I hope to return.

References

Amplifychurchnc.org. (n.d.). Amplify Church. https://www.amplifychurchnc.org

Amplify Church Willow Springs, NC. (2024, August 21). Sunday Morning Service August 18. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8iFEcxLyZA

Beck, M. (2022, November 5). I’m listening [Photograph].

CornellLab of Ornithology. (2024). House Sparrow. All about Birds. Retrieved August 27, 2024 from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/overview

Conelllab of Ornithology. (2024). Ross’s Turaco. All about Birds. Retrieved August 27, 2024 from https://ebird.org/species/rostur1

His eye is on the sparrow. (2024, July 14). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Eye_Is_on_the_Sparrow#:~:text=Civilla%20Martin%2C%20who%20wrote%20the,and%20Mrs.

JB Eid. (2021, January 12). Ethel Waters – His eye is on the sparrow. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo3-p3GDV6w

Newark Liberty International Airport. (2024, August 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark_Liberty_International_Airport

To learn more about my reflections sitting in chairs read:

Beck, M. (2022, August 2). Angels in the light. Time Traveling Nurse. https://timetravelingnurse.blog/2022/08/05/angels-in-the-light/

Beck, M. (2022, August 19). Florence and the origin of light. Time Traveling Nurse. https://timetravelingnurse.blog/2022/08/19/florence-and-the-origin-of-the-light/

Beck, M. (2023, May 9). The dark house wants light. Time Traveling Nurse. https://timetravelingnurse.blog/2023/05/09/the-dark-house-wants-light/

Beck, M. (2023, July 26). Walking with the light. Time Traveling Nurse. https://timetravelingnurse.blog/2023/07/26/walking-with-the-light/

Special Thanks

Anna Schwartz Howell, my daughter, reviewer and editor for Like a Bird.

Tracey Stones, friend, fellow blogger, reviewer and editor for Like a Bird.