“You know what I like about you?” she asked.
“No, I have no clue.”
“You’re an odd bird... and so am I.”
I didn’t know whether to be flattered or feel the sting of a backhanded compliment.
But I did know she was right.
We are both not like most other people.
That was years ago and that day I began to see the beauty of being different, to embrace the uniqueness of each individual.
Even myself.
This week I walked along a Florida beach with two of my dearest friends and contemplated the shore birds...
sometimes a single bird fighting powerful surf alone
sometimes almost seeming to dance and play in the waves,
bobbing and racing
standing alone or as mirror images
and at times you see them walking alongside one another
as my dear friends have done for me during recent storms in my life
The birds know how to sit in the sun and simply rest.
The beauty of the beach soaked into our bones.
Together we savored the gifts of the sea,
absorbed the gentle breaking of surf,
the calling of one bird to another,
and the quiet affirmation of a shared glance, a look that speaks volumes, without words.
