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This is Deputy Digby Pancake. When a day starts off with sunshiney and a cool breeze in this Florida place, it’s the start of a wonderful day.

In fact, every day can start off wonderful. And we have to cherish that while we can. Because things can change in an instant.

We took a little walk around a pretty lake yesterday after a hike thru the forst. I love the forest.

And usually, we get to see many different types of birds and other animals. It’s a very relaxing walk, usually. And we enjoy it.

It’s nice to know all the different animals and birds that love it here like us. Often, we get to see many white birds here called egrets.

I’m one to chase birds for the fun of it. Or at least bark at them. They don’t seem to mind, and in fact, sometimes they fly close for the fun of it too. But yesterday, one white bird wasn’t flying anywhere. She was laying on the edge of the bank of the lake. And she was hurt very bad. Brickle’s long face became even longer.

Girl Person carefully checked to see if the bird was still alive and suffering and if she could move. Girl Person could see her breathing, but not much. We were very quiet so she could think. I didn’t even bark.

As she was thinking, someone who worked at the park drove by. She told him about the bird and he went to get help. We started to walk away, but then Girl Person stopped. She said we needed to talk to the bird. As a fisherman looked at us like we were crazy, Girl Person began talking. She told the bird that she was beautiful. That she mattered. She said that in fact, right at that moment, she was the most important thing in the world. She told the bird what a lovely day it was and that she was sorry she was hurt. The bird still didn’t move. Then Girl Person told her that help was coming. But if she was in too much pain, or couldn’t hold on, it was ok. She thanked her for being such a wonderful part of the earth and sky.

And she told her she was made wonderfully with her beautiful feathers and long neck. She said that she was loved. And as Girl Person said, “We love you, little bird. We love you”, the little bird lifted her head and looked at us one last time. One last moment.

In that moment, nothing made sense to us. Suffering. Pain. Loss. We wanted to run away. But Girl Person said we had to wait till help came. And as it did, and we said goodbye, we wished we were walking to a place without pain. Without suffering. For any living thing.

Sometimes, Girl Person said she can’t understand why one thing suffers so another can live. Or why one life matters more than another. And then, she thinks so hard that all the good things of the day get lost. And that isn’t good either. We almost didn’t see another beautiful bird stretching out its wings in that precise moment. And we needed to see that.

We were very sad about the little bird. But we know her life mattered. For us, she made us stop and see the good in the day still left. She taught us that in actuality, for those moments we were with her, she was the most important thing in our world. See who is waiting for you to notice them today.

Appreciate. Learn. Listen. Act. And more than all…respect. Respect that your world…our world…is made up of ones like the little bird.

–Deputy Digby Pancake

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