Birdies

June 28th was a special day.

Thanks to my sweet friend's incredibly hard work and determination, she made it a day to celebrate and honor.  That friend can move mountains, I believe it.

The opening of her cupcake shop- Sweet Charley B's was wildly successful, the line out the door and for stretches of time even around the corner.  She baked frantically from 2am until the afternoon when she just physically couldn't bake any longer and had run out of baking supplies.

And still, there were people wanting more.

That's how you do it.

You leave them wanting more.

I knew she'd develop a cult-like following.

And that she has.

This June 28th was also a big day for my Charlie.

He had to have 2 "fill in's" at the dentist, and because of his fear on the last "fill in's" they provided us with some anti-anxiety medicine to give the night before and morning of the big procedure.

So, he was a little off his game that day.

But we were all there to celebrate our sweet friend and witness the beyond-amazing day.

Then ambled over the the farmer's market.

Usually when we go over there the kids want an apple, a cookie, face painting, balloon animals- you know how it goes...

Friends were getting shave ice.

It's all so enticing to little eyes.

But not my Charlie.

He had his eye on something I never would have predicted.

There was an artist table set up where I'd never seen one before.  I'd never noticed this artist before.  And Charlie could not take his eyes off it.

He wanted a picture of a birdie more than you could know.

Such intense longing in those big green eyes.

We went over to look at them, hoping that might appease him.

We talked with the lady, and found out the framed ones were $40.

Not a price I was willing to pay to keep a kid happy.  $10 maybe.  Not $40, even though I appreciated the artist's work and it is a modest price for a numbered print.

The lady offered to take his picture with whatever he selected, to share with the artist.

I eventually talked him into a card which was not really what he wanted, but he picked one.

This is the card he selected- he tends to favor the Gold Finches.
Artist: Dee McDonald

He was still out of sorts and we walked away but he kept staring at that table.

His buddy Jamesy shared his shaved ice and he seemed to perk up a little.

I have no idea why I did this, but I asked him if he wanted to go back and get his picture with his card for the artist and he nodded yes.

So we went back and I asked the lady if she'd mind taking that picture.

He kind of grimaced rather than the big smile I expected, so I explained to her why he was out of sorts.

She told me she was a healer and asked if I minded if she put her hands on him, to see if she could help him feel better.

At that point I thought anything was worth a try so I agreed, watching Charlie's reaction to make sure he was fine with it.

He was pretty stoic but patient.

She also applied some essential oils behind his ears and while she did this she asked him his name.

"Charlie" was his solemn-face answer as they were eye to eye.

And the lady's eyes welled with tears.

The name moved her.

She said her dad had been Charlie too.

Then she stunned me by saying that she had a gift she would like to give him

if he would accept it.

She explained that the artist had provided her with a ($40) framed print to give to someone.  The artist had just said that the lady would know who to give it to, when the right person came along.

He choose to hang it over his bed so he could sleep by his birdie every night.

And that right person was my Charlie Bear, lover of all things living especially birdies, fishies, frogs, bugs, puppies, turtles, you name it he probably loves it.

My sweet little St Francis of Assisi.

Charlie.

It's a name (and people) I love- either spelled Charley or Charlie.

It's wondrous when you let yourself take in the beauty of people with pure hearts.

I'm grateful for that healer, the artist, and my little boy who looked past face painting, shave ice, and balloon animals.  Who was drawn to a talented artist whose subjects are some of God's most beautiful creatures.

We live in a beautiful world filled with kind and generous souls.

I hope that I take the time to notice and revel in it each time it happens before me.