Life, love, and Elvis lands on my gate..

G'day darlings!

Today is one of those rare days when I am allowing my self some 'time off'. It's been intense lately and life has pulled me left, right and center for sure. But right now and here I am sitting down with a delicious 'Latte' to tell you a wonderful true story.. xx

The other day when the kids and I came home from school there was a beautiful 'Cockatiel' (bird) sitting on our front gate. I adore birds (!) - in fact I see them as my 'totem animal' - and was thrilled to see such stunning visitor. It was clear that this little friend was tame and that it had escaped from its home, so I gently took it inside to keep it safe whilst we called the vet.

The kids donated one of their beloved shoe boxes (the things they collect..sigh), punched lots of holes in the lid and lined it with a comfy tea towel - the perfect vessel for our new friend as we took him down to the vet's practice.

Cut to the next day.. I couldn't get the bird off my mind and so I went to see if it was still there. I was told that it had reconnected with it's rightful owner (relief!) and that she was going to call me, which she indeed did that same afternoon. Not only does it turn out that this girl is a former work friend (she works for Elle magazine) but the core of my (somewhat long winded) story is this..

A year ago this mother of two was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She was given six months to live and though she is still alive (having come out of intense chemo) there is the prevailing likelihood of the cancer spreading to other parts of her body. To give her sons some comfort (and much needed distraction) they decided to by them each a bird. - as such two beautiful Cockatiels moved in.  Slowly these birds become symbolic of their mother's health and fight for her life, and their presence in the family grew more significant.

 

The other day their cages were placed on the lawn in their garden so that the birds could enjoy a bit of fresh air (aaww..). By accident one of the boys' visiting friends left the door to one of cages  open and 'Elvis' escaped (the other bird was in a separate cage)... The devastation was total! They all realized just how much the birds had come to mean to them as they continue to fight for a future & life together. The boys were  beyond distraught and my friend temporarily felt her strength & health deteriorate. They searched every tree in the area, called local pet stores and generally did everything they could to find their beloved friend.. They had nearly given up when the call came through from the vet telling them that Elvis (his name..) had found his way back, via a hole-punched shoebox in the hands of my children.. Can you imagine the relief..!?

When she called and told me the full story I was struck by how significant every action in life is. A twist of fate and a seemingly small act of kindness can make a huge impact on someone's life. I certainly didn't expect to be awarded with the knowledge that what we did meant so much, but now that I do I feel so full of love and light. The children and I are invited over to my friend's house next week so that we can all hug and talk about how & why this bird brought us to reconnect.. and I can't wait!

Live life laughing together people & pet friends, for every day counts!

xx Charlotta

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P.S.

This morning I received an email from my dear friend Lene (of 'The Essence of the Good Life'). 

She mentioned she had found my 'art blog' (HERE) and that she wanted to post some of my works over at her cyber corner. Little did I know that she would do such generous feature and I felt so appreciated and wrapped up in love when I had read her post. Thank you again Lene, you have a heart of gold! xx

 P.P.S

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