Each night during dinner, I have a perfect view of three unique birdhouses that my father built with pride. Over the years, we have enjoyed watching sparrows live in these houses in our backyard. Many baby sparrows have learned to fly here. Sweet songs have filled the yard. These little neighbors have brought great joy.
This spring we realized that the bird houses had seen better days and it was time to discard them. Clearly, my little neighbors’ homes needed to go.
As I dismantled the houses, I realized I didn’t have time to create new bird houses. Finding the materials and tools, and then learning to build them was too much work. The new houses would inevitably become half-completed projects sitting in the garage. Defeated, I decided the birds would be fine. They would naturally find new homes on their own.
The night after the bird houses were taken down, their absence was more than noticed. I missed the little birds, and knew their songs would no longer be a part of our neighborhood. And I didn’t want to lose these neighbors.
Being a good neighbor means caring about those who live nearby. And this spring, being a good neighbor means building new houses for my sparrow friends.
We all can extend a simple neighborly gesture. Showing that we care about those around us, even if they are little birds, creates a world that is just little bit nicer.
I’m Elsa Glover, and that’s my perspective.
