The buzzard and I

an unlikely encounter

Image by dewling from pixabay (Canva)

A while ago, I was driving back home after visiting family across the border. Somewhere along the freeway, a large bird suddenly swooped down in front of my car. My heart skipped. For a moment I felt awful, thinking I might have hit it. But the bird was fast, fearless, almost deliberate. It was a buzzard.

We used to have buzzards in my old neighborhood. They would circle high above us, watchful and calm, as if keeping an eye on everything below. A neighbor once told me she believes one of them waits for her. That when she comes home, it swoops over as if welcoming her back. It appeared after her father passed away, and ever since, she feels protected by it.

Back on the freeway, that moment stayed with me.

Image by Colin Dalton from Pexels (Canva)

A few weeks later, I drove the same road again to visit my family. This time, my daughter and her partner were with me. I told them about the buzzard and said we should keep an eye out on the way back. I had seen it twice already near the same stretch of road - once in that almost reckless dive in front of my car and another time perched on a pole overlooking the highway, like a quiet guardian of the road.

On our way home, I nearly forgot to look.

And then suddenly… there he was. Sitting on the pole, just like before.

“He’s there, he’s there!” I called out, almost childlike in my excitement. I could feel their surprise filling the car, that quiet disbelief you feel when something small and unlikely happens right in front of you.

And I don’t know why, but in that moment I felt deeply happy. Glowing, even. A little in awe. As if I had just witnessed a tiny miracle tucked into an ordinary day.

Maybe that’s how it works.

Maybe these moments are always around us… small, gentle signs waiting for us to notice them.

I like to believe this:
Keep your heart open and they will appear.

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Writing inspiration:

What has made you feel that there might be more out there lately? How did that make you feel and what meaning, if any, did you give it?

If you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear your stories in the comments. I have a feeling many of us experience these small miracles more often than we realize.

Love,