Set You Free

by | Aug 28, 2011

I believe mother earth has been trying to tell me something.

Mother Earth

Let me back up.

This week has been a strange one for me and for mother earth. It began with an Earthquake, then I released a black crow out into the skies. Then a hurricane tore up the East coast. When the skies cleared and the sun came out I took a walk, only to find a baby snapping turtle laying on the road. I helped save it and get it to a safe place.

I could not make this stuff up if I tried.

The earthquake (a magnitude 5.8) occcured in Virginia but it was felt all up the East coast, including my home state of Delaware. I happened to be on a plane heading back to Delaware when they stopped us on the runway.

“This is your captain speaking, unfortunatly we are going to be in for a little delay. There’s been an earthquake at our destination and for the moment all planes are grounded.”

What?

That’s when the text messages and emails started flooding in. Friends in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and even New York were talking of this earthquake they had just felt.

Something about this quake got me thinking about mother nature. To me- I always believe mother nature is full of surprises. Whenever you think you know it all, you come to find out you don’t. And whenever us humans feel like we are in complete control, something comes to tell us that we aren’t.

After the quake I landed safely in Baltimore and headed home. As I got off the plane I received a message from an unknown number.

“Suki this is Jenn from Delaware Tri-State Bird Rescue, we have the crow that you dropped off to us over a month ago. I just wanted to let you know he is fully rehabilitated and I wanted to see if you were interested in letting him go in your area.”

Flashback to a warm summer evening over a month ago.

The Boo and I were on our way out the door to go swimming when we noticed this crow roaming around our doorstep. It wouldn’t have been that weird except it would not seem to leave us alone. It was on our door step and following us and every time it tried to fly, it couldn’t. We could tell it was hurt so I decided to call the Tri-State Bird Rescue.

Crow

They told us to put him in a box with holes in it so he could breath and come bring him in.

We took him down to the rescue. The whole time he was rattling around in the box. Before we left his family cawed at us angrily. CAW CAW CAW.

“I’m sorry,” I yelled back at them. “But he clearly needs help!”

We handed him over to the rescue but not before I named him. Crowy, was his name. And he was my forever crow friend. A dumb name I know, but I liked it.

So over a month goes by and I am wondering how Crowy is doing. But every time I would call they would say- there are thousands of crows here, and there are so many people that drop off crows, we couldn’t possibly check back with everyone. But they gave me a little info:

  • He wasn’t a full grown crow he was a baby, barely a few weeks old
  • He was dehydrated and unable to fly so they would have to work on him
  • They would let me know when he could be released because crows do better in the wild when they are with their own packs

So when I got off that plane in Baltimore and I heard the news about Crowy I was elated!

I drove to the rescue the next day to pick him up and he was so quiet in the little box they gave me. I talked to him the whole drive home. The box was like a special Christmas present that I was just dying to open. What did he look like? How would he react?

The vet said Crowy was dehydrated, malnourished and disoriented when we brought him in. She said if we hadn’t brought him in he would have surely died. He also had the avian version of chicken pox so they had to treat him for that too.

When I got home I eagerly opened the box. Crowy flew out I couldn’t even grab a picture. He flew out into the sky with such joy. It was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. A moment I will never forget.

And because he had a little white tag on his foot- I will always be able to tell if it’s Crowy cawing down at me.

Then Came the Storm

A Hurricane…in Delaware. What?

Is this the twilight zone? After rearranging all my weekend plans I spent Saturday and Sunday indoors watching Hurricane Irene’s strong gusty winds and torrential rain. It wasn’t too bad and after the clouds parted- the sun lit up the sky like I’ve never seen. It was beautiful!

So I decided to go on a walk. I was talking to my friend on the walk and telling her how some strange things had been going on latetly and she gave this advice:

“Just pay attention to things. Maybe someone or something is trying to tell you something. Keep your eyes open.”

The Baby Snapping Turtle I Found

I went down to the stream at the bottom of our neighborhood- a place Boo and I have often walked. I miss him- he is out of town so I was thinking of him as  I took pictures of the stream and how flooded it was.

A few months ago we spotted a snapping turtle down at this stream. Snapping turtles seem to follow us wherever we go.

So it was very strange for me today when I was walking along and almost stepped on this tiny little snapping turtle! I think it was washed up from the hurricane and a little out of it and disoriented. I prodded at it with a little stick until it opened its eyes and looked at me. I thought it was dead at first!

Then it started grilling me down like it was going to bite me. I helped direct it off the path (as you can see below) and into a brush. I hope it will be ok.

I looked it up online and turtles have the following symbolism:

According to Native Americans:

The turtle signifies Maka ‚ Mother Earth — awakening to opportunities, longevity, the primal mother and motherhood. She’s associated with the lunar cycle and the power of the female energies. Turtles can serve as a reminder of the belief that the path to heaven is via Mother Earth and that Maka contains all people need.

According to Northern Native American tradition, it’s believed that the turtle will nurture, care for and protect people when they do the same for her. People must slow down, heighten their sensitivities and sensibilities and see the connection of all that exist. Just as turtles can’t separate themselves from their shells, humans cannot separate themselves from what they do to Maka.

Is Maka- or Mother Earth- trying to tell me something?
What does it all mean?
Watch me saving the baby turtle:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXuzu33Lto]
Whatever it is, I am feeling very in touch with nature this week. From birds and trees to natural disasters and snapping turtles, I am ready for whatever nature may bring my way.
And at the same time, I am ready to respect Mother Earth for all the beauty and danger and fascinating moments that may come my way.
What You Give to the Universe- You Will Receive from the Universe.
I’ll end with a poem that came my way this week. A poem that I have always loved. See the significance of the words:

Don't Be a Caged Bird

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
By Maya Angelou
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

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