death of a sparrow

This morning as I departed for work I discovered a dead sparrow on my steps. Initially, I thought it was a sad thing, then my mind wandered to the idea of the universality of death and finally, the thought that in some cultures or in other times this may have been taken as an omen of bad things to come. Was this an omen I wondered? I know I have taken comfort in the past at discovering a praying mantis in my yard, actually often perched atop my door way as if monitoring my comings and goings. In the oriental culture, the presence of a praying mantis portends good fortune. No, I decided, the dead sparrow on my steps was not a bad omen. But yes, the praying mantis was a good sign. Basically, I chose to reject the negative notion but accept the favorable one.

I grabbed a shovel to pick up the bird and place it gently into my garbage can. Perhaps I should have buried it in the yard, but the garbage can was a more expedient option and I didn't want Joni to discover the bird for herself for fear that she would find it upsetting. The bird seemed remarkably, silently at rest. I could easily imagine its skittish and rapid movements in life as I have witnessed these birds almost daily throughout the years. I could see the way it would tilt its head from side to side to look at you, how it would hop on the ground and how its wings would flutter just prior to taking flight.

The contrast between this vision of the bird in life and the still body on my shovel was a revelation to me. Earlier this week I had heard a quote by John Muir, "Death is as beautiful as life." That statement has lingered in my mind since that time. There is a truth to it that I hadn't considered before. I had never really thought of death in those terms. And now, before me, lay this fragile little bird, eyes closed in a peaceful, quiet and still oblivion. It was oddly beautiful. We all pass through this world like visitors, vast numbers of us sharing the same time and place on this earth. We overlap. Some of us pass early in our visit, others pass during other times. Some are born during our visit and linger beyond our own time. Everybody who has ever lived on this planet has and will cease to exist in this realm. As a child, death would frighten me. Now, as I grow older, I see it is the way of all things and there is a beauty in the cycle and universality of the process. "Death is as beautiful as life."