Sparrow Lessons: Gods tiny evangelists

i spent most of my life listening to people tell me that sparrows are bad,
they are pests,
they take other birds homes etc. etc.

i didn't agree, and i didn't disagree
then three years ago spring came late,
very late...
my maple tree took a long long time to get even the tiniest bud
and there were no birds
it was quiet in the yard

i was sad and didn't even realise why

then one day i heard them
chittering singing hopping birds

not the robins with their beautiful whistle that heralds the coming of spring
not the finches with their bright red display
not the canaries clothed in sunshine

the little brown sparrows
the color of earth
with an earthy song
dancing in my trees making homes for their soon to come families
and my heart soared with these tiny birds
and i watched them with a huge smile
a smile that says "SPRING"

i forgot all the terrible things people said
i forgot i was not supposed to like them
and i fell in love

when we left our little house with the big maple
 i was as sad to leave my birds as i was my home

we moved to a beautiful home
in a wonderful city
with a tiny yard
and no trees
and no birds

so for two springs i felt the sad silence of a world without birds

i planted trees, and made a garden, and put out water
all with the purpose of attracting birds

and eventually they found my yard
the finches and the swallows and the robins
and the sparrows

my heart was filled with the joy of flight once more
and i loved them all

i watched as whole families of sparrows came into my yard
to teach their babies to fly
and then settling onto my bench
a whole fuzzy grey pile of baby birds to nap in the sun,
i watched as papa finches taught their tiny sons to sing
while sitting on my garden hose,
and swallows swooped above,
and robins stole my moss to make nests

i didn't pick a favorite
i loved them all

then it started again
people telling me the woes of the sparrow
that they are "introduced" birds
that are taking over
how they are aggressive
and taking habitat from native birds

everyone seems to think this is so terrible
that we need to get rid of them
that they are less desirable
that somehow other birds are more valuable
therefore it is ok to sacrifice a sparrow
for the sake of a native bird

and it has made me think

sparrows are European birds brought here by Europeans

guess what i am?
i am European

my ancestors are from another continent
i am not native to this land

but i AM Canadian
this is the only land i have ever known
this is my home
is it wrong that i feel i belong here?

i know i am not a bird and some people think
~ a bird is just a bird~
and they are right
but what we think doesn't matter to the bird
a sparrow is just trying to thrive where it is

 ~just like me~

the sparrows had no choice
they were brought here to do a job for the people
and now they live here too
with us

they are not showy
they are  not colorful
they are not the sweetest singers

but they are happy
they are brave
they are good parents
they are here for the long haul,
they don't show up for a few months a year and expect to get special treatment,
they may have been "introduced" long ago,
but they are Canadian now

and in the long winter months when i was stuck inside
longing to fly
there was no colorful canary to sing to me
there was no robin hopping thru the snow
the finches were long gone enjoying the sun elsewhere

but my sparrows were here, sheltering under my deck
eating from my feeder
and lifting my spirit with their brave existence

so i choose to love them
i choose to accept the blessing
i choose to watch with delight as they build a nest in our birdhouse
and i make no apology for that

if we "introduced Europeans" can call this place home
can populate it beyond belief
can build concrete jungles over native flowers
then the least we can do is honor the bird that does the same.