Life is Fragile

This past week I was reminded of just how fragile and precious life is. On Wednesday, one of my students noticed a nestling had fallen from its nest. It was still breathing, but of course very vulnerable. Innocent as they were, the students wanted to keep the baby bird. "Miss Mac, let's keep it and take care of it in the classroom. Please?" One look at the baby bird told me unless we tried to find its nest and put it back, it wasn't going to make it. This was a nestling, not a fledgling. But I didn't want to discourage the compassion in my students. Another teacher made a makeshift nest and both of us researched online on how to help a baby bird that has fallen from its nest. Clearly we were unequipped to take care of this baby. It was in a fragile stage and needed its mother. We kept the nestling in the classroom for almost an hour. You could still see its chest moving up and down. I explained to my students that if this baby bird was to have any chance at all, then we must do the right thing and try to place it back in the tree. Maybe, just maybe, the mother will find it and help it survive. They understood that it might not make it, but I think they learned a lesson in compassion and that life can be fragile, but its worth the effort to survive. I do not know if that baby bird survived or not. I do know we tried to help it.

Hitting even closer to home, I received a phone call from my mom telling me that Dad was in the hospital and had been since Tuesday. What can I do to help from this distance? The only thing I can do is pray. And thankfully many people are praying right along with me. Unlike the baby bird just being born and struggling to survive, my dad is older and health is more vulnerable now. It's difficult seeing a parent begin to lose health. It's difficult thinking of losing that parent. But he is in good hands. The doctors are helping him and trying to find out what is wrong. My dad is a Believer and I know he is in God's hands too. That thought comforts me when I worry about being so far away and not being able to see his face.

Haiti and the devastating earthquake that destroyed everything there is another reminder of how fragile life is. In a matter of minutes one's life can be snuffed out, or life as you know it can be turned upside down. I can't even imagine how the survivors feel. I try to imagine losing everything. Your home. Your neighborhood. The local market. The hospital. The school. Friends. Family. Everything. How does one go on from such devastation?

The only answer is hope. As in the case of the baby bird. My students had hope that they could feed the baby and help it survive. I have hope that the doctors will find out what's wrong with my dad and solve the problem. The people of Haiti have lost everything. Everything, but hope. Let's pray that they don't lose that.

Life is fragile. Live it carefully. Live it well.