Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

Lily is a sad Lily today.  Not a silly billy Lily like some days.  I was out on a run this morning and found an injured bird.  It had a broken wing.  It was sitting there, all huddled on the ground, and obviously in a lot of pain.

What could I do, though?  I ran home and got a kennel, and got Dave to drive me out to where the bird was.  We gently put the bird in the kennel and brought it home.  Poor thing was scared and in a lot of pain.  We looked up a wildlife rehabilitator (thankfully in this area there are quite a few) and one was open at 8.  So we drive a few miles up and dropped the poor thing off.  They told us it was probably not going to survive, but they’d give it the best chance they could.

Sometimes life is good, and sometimes life sucks.  I think I see what Sabby means now about life being not fair.  That bird didn’t ask to have a broken wing!  It was just going along and doing bird things, and it broke its wing!  How?  It got hit by a car?  It ran into a window?  I don’t know.  But, Lily, there are plenty of birds out there!  Yes, but that one was hurt!  I found that one!!!

Sabby said it wasn’t fair that I lost my memory, too.  Out of all the people on this planet, I was the one to be found on the side of the road with no memory, just like that little bird was found on the side of the road with a broken wing.  It’s just how life works.  Sometimes you’re just humming along, having a good time, and bam.  Life hits.  And something gets destroyed.  A wing.  Or memories.

And Sabby took me in, just like the rehabilitator took that little bird in.  I’m sure they’ll give it food and water and safety, but maybe that won’t be enough.  Maybe Dave and Sabby won’t be enough for me.  Sometimes life just hits too hard, and things die.

Normally we’d go to church, but I didn’t want to.  Besides, church was already started by the time we got home from the rehabilitator.  So I just went up to my room and curled up in bed.  No silly billy Lily, just sadness.

Sabby came up, though.  She knew it affected me, but she didn’t know why.  She sad down on the side of my bed.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?,” she said.

I nodded.  I didn’t really want to speak.

“Do you remember what I said about maybe you’d understand someday?  About how life isn’t fair?  About why we ask you to go to church?”

I just laid there.  I didn’t have anything to say.  She reached out and brushed my hair off my forehead.  I closed my eyes.

“You couldn’t let that bird lay there dying, could you?”

I shook my head.  Tears were threatening.

“That’s why I took you in, Lily.”  She cupped my face and wiped a tear from my eye with her thumb.  I leaned into her touch, and the tears started flowing for real.  I threw off the blankets and clung to her for dear life, sobbing it out.  She rubbed my back.

“It’s not fair, Lily.  But you were there for that little bird.  I was there for you.  Do you understand now?”

I nodded, and rested my head on her shoulder.

“Life’s not fair, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to make it better.”

I wiped the tears from my eyes.

“I understand now,” I said quietly.  “I wish I didn’t.”

She chuckled.  ‘No one wants to understand, Lily.  But everyone finds their own bird on the side of the road.  It’s what we do when we find it, that matters.  You couldn’t leave it there.”  She gently pushed my back, and raised my chin with her fingertip.  “You’re a good girl, Lily.  I wish I could say I raised you that way.  But I’m glad I found you.”

She kissed my forehead.  I lowered my forehead in that now familiar way, and accepted the kiss.  She rubbed the top of my head and stood up.

“Now take a shower,” she said.  “You don’t want to be all smelly when we go to the waterpark.”

I suddenly felt a bit happier.  “We’re going to the waterpark?”

“How could we not?  After all those hints…”

“I wasn’t…”

“No matter.  We’re going.  It’s decided.  Beth and David want to go too.  So go take a shower so we can go.”

It was a sad morning.  I’m still a little sad.  But the bird is in good hands.  I’m in good hands.  We’re going to the waterpark.  I don’t think Liz can go, but that’s okay.  Beth and I are getting along now, we’ll make do.  (I love you, Liz, but you have your classes!  I’m sorry!)

So I’m wearing my swimsuit under my clothes now and we’re going to the waterpark!  It started out a bad day.  But maybe it will end a better day.  I love you, Sabby.  With all my heart.

Love you all!!!!  ❤️