When I was in 7th grade our science class spent six weeks learning about songbirds. Yes you read that right. Calls, flight patterns, you name it, we were tested on it. One of our projects in particular was monitoring several bluebird nests during the spring. My grandma Millie drove our group along the North Cascade Road stopping every few miles to check a birdhouse. We held our breath as we opened the side praying a snake would not fall out. After checking the nest, or lack thereof, we would shuffle back to the car, and write our observations as we listened to bird calls on cassette. "The bobwhite.... bob-whiiiiiiiite, bob-whiiiiiiiite".
... I know Nolan will read this one day and I will have to explain to him what a cassette tape is and it makes me cringe. I now know how my parents felt about eight track tapes..
At the time I thought our science teacher was clinically insane. But in retrospect, I am glad we spent time learning about songbirds. I appreciate the fact I can pick out the call of red winged blackbird as I hoe the garden or recognize the difference between a bluebird and a blue jay as they nest in our pine grove.
I also know that when you see a goldfinch, you should consider yourself lucky. The goldfinch is the state bird for Iowa; if you ask Chasen he would say it's the hawkeye.
My grandma Millie loved songbirds too. I remember she would get so excited if a goldfinch was at her feeder or sitting in the lilac bush behind dad's house. Something about seeing that vibrant yellow bird can bring joy on the darkest of days.
I have been lucky to see a goldfinch a time or two in our yard, sometimes a male and a female. But last Saturday was something special. There were at least 30 goldfinches in our backyard. There were so many they looked like dandelions scattered across the lawn. I simply could not believe my eyes! I took a few Snapchat videos and called Chasen to come look. Needless to say my friends probably think I'm 95 and Chasen was less than impressed. Giddy as a school girl I went to grab Nolan to show him but when I got back, they had all disappeared. Shoot, this avian lesson will have to wait another day.
Soon I got a Snapmessage from a friend saying that goldfinches are a good sign, so I began to do some research. Post-biblical legend developed about the goldfinch saying they were a witness to the humiliating march of Jesus carrying the cross to Golgotha. It's natural diet of thorns and thistles is also enlisted in the details of the tale, to emphasize that in the tragedy of Jesus’ torture and execution that even animals bore witness. In ancient European art goldfinches were used to represent the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The site also talked about goldfinches being a sign of recovery from illness, the raising up of a person out of their sick-bed.
So I ask you, do you believe in signs? I find myself finding hope and joy in simple tasks of every day life. Maybe it is because I am seeking them out or they are signs from God and loved ones watching over us. Either way I am so thankful for my faith and the blessings it shares.
