A Tale of Kindness
By Constance Loef
Buddah Blue Heron stands in the shallow water by the low concrete bridge. Buddah loves this creek. It’s good for fishing but it also is just plain beautiful. The sky is a bright blue, the rocks that frame everything are a weathered red and the water swishing down the rocky path is so clear you can see yourself in it. Buddah is happy here but not today!
Today is master class for the young herons. At noon, the young herons assemble on the bridge for a class on ‘foraging and finding food’. Buddah wiggles her head and clicks her beak. Not once since the beginning of the class has the Instructor ever told her she has done something right. In fact, everything she does is wrong.
Her long skinny toes are not in the correct position. Her eyes are not focused. They flit back and forth too much. Her dive into the water is not shallow enough. Buddah sighs, “It is so hard always being wrong.”
Heads up, beaks straight, the young herons stand in a straight line on the bridge . The Inspector reviews her crew. She taps Buddah on the shoulder, saying, “I said, stand on you right leg, Buddah.” “I am sorry, mam, but I am left legged. I cannot stand alone on my right.”
“ I said, stand on your right leg!”
Out of the blue, as Buddah attempts to stand on her weaker leg, there is a thunderous flapping of giant wings as a large heron soars down from the top of a large pine tree to a driftwood sculpture in the middle of the creek.
The small herons tremble. It can’t be but it is! Standing atop thedriftwood sculpture is Goliath, the bravest, the most courageous blue heron ever!!!
“Now hear this,” booms the large heron. “Buddah Blue Heron is an excellent fisherbird. She can locate food by sight and her neck snaps with precision when small fish, shrimp, crabs and event a rodent appears. She is fearless. She is brave.”
Everyone looks at Buddah as tears stream down her beak. No one has stood up for her before. Buddah looks over at Goliath. Standing straight, on both legs, she says, “Thank for your kindness.”
Now kindness can be defined as compassionate, sympathetic, considerate, or as a child might say, nice. There is a calmness and gentleness to those definitions. But there is a strength in kindness when you stand up for someone, for the child being bullied, for the child never picked for a team or the child sitting in her locker crying because no one will play with her.
BE STRONG, BE KIND.
Today is master class for the young herons. At noon, the young herons assemble on the bridge for a class on ‘foraging and finding food’. Buddah wiggles her head and clicks her beak. Not once since the beginning of the class has the Instructor ever told her she has done something right. In fact, everything she does is wrong.
Her long skinny toes are not in the correct position. Her eyes are not focused. They flit back and forth too much. Her dive into the water is not shallow enough. Buddah sighs, “It is so hard always being wrong.”
Heads up, beaks straight, the young herons stand in a straight line on the bridge . The Inspector reviews her crew. She taps Buddah on the shoulder, saying, “I said, stand on you right leg, Buddah.” “I am sorry, mam, but I am left legged. I cannot stand alone on my right.”
“ I said, stand on your right leg!”
Out of the blue, as Buddah attempts to stand on her weaker leg, there is a thunderous flapping of giant wings as a large heron soars down from the top of a large pine tree to a driftwood sculpture in the middle of the creek.
The small herons tremble. It can’t be but it is! Standing atop thedriftwood sculpture is Goliath, the bravest, the most courageous blue heron ever!!!
“Now hear this,” booms the large heron. “Buddah Blue Heron is an excellent fisherbird. She can locate food by sight and her neck snaps with precision when small fish, shrimp, crabs and event a rodent appears. She is fearless. She is brave.”
Everyone looks at Buddah as tears stream down her beak. No one has stood up for her before. Buddah looks over at Goliath. Standing straight, on both legs, she says, “Thank for your kindness.”
Now kindness can be defined as compassionate, sympathetic, considerate, or as a child might say, nice. There is a calmness and gentleness to those definitions. But there is a strength in kindness when you stand up for someone, for the child being bullied, for the child never picked for a team or the child sitting in her locker crying because no one will play with her.
BE STRONG, BE KIND.