March 28, 2009
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A Tribute to a Good Egg
In 1998, after Failed Dog Experiment One and about five or six dead goldfish, Hunter still wanted a pet. “Mom, do you think we could get a bird?” his little seven year-old self asked. We sent out an email to the general population of Cedarville College (where TGD was working at the time) seeing if anyone had a cage for sale. We got an email that not only did someone have a cage, they had a bird to go with it!
So, we became the third owners of a little, yellow parakeet.
There was debate as to what to name him. Yellowie? Butter Stick? Since the children had recently watched the movie Paulie which features a parrot, they decided that Paulie would be a good name for our new family member.
Paulie turned out to be a great bird. I had a parakeet when I was a child, and he was obnoxious with his squawking. Paulie made such gentle, pleasant bird noises. Plus, he was friendly. He’d sit on your shoulder or your head or fly over to where you were and just hang out near you.
One year, when we moved to Oklahoma for the summer, we took Paulie with us. I don’t know that hotels are used to people carrying in a parakeet cage for an overnight stay.
He had a toy, a set of jingle balls, which he loved dearly. I think he would have followed those balls straight into a cat’s mouth.
Paulie also loved Little Miss, especially when she was a baby. He would fly down and sit on her head or walk around her and tug at her socks or pick at her baby books. One day, soon after she learned to sit unaided, Paulie was doing his usual inspection. Four month-old Little Miss slowly leaned over, hardly in control of her own hands, and grabbed a very surprised parakeet. He let out a squawking, and I rescued him. Totally unhurt, in less than two minutes, he was back at Little Miss’s side.
A few years after we moved to PA, we inherited my mom’s parakeet, Bluey, who was another bachelor bird. The two seemed to enjoy each other and would hop in and out of their respective cages. But, when night came, separate dwelling were required.
My mom would get the birds over the summer–their vacation home. About two years ago, we just didn’t bother bringing them home as they were having too much fun. A year ago, Bluey died, and two baby parakeets came to live. Paulie seemed to be able to teach these wild creatures how to get back into their cage after flying and that it was okay to be friendly.
Over the last year, Paulie took more and more naps. Sometimes he would stretch out almost horizontally on the perch or bend over almost upside down on the side of the cage. He began to look like a punk rocker as his thinning feathers would stick straight up and he fluffed them out to keep warm. But, he was still pleasant and active and enjoyed his daily bath.
Yesterday my mom called to tell me the news–Paulie died in the afternoon.
Rest in peace, you wonderful bird.
Comments (15)
What an utterly delightful and wonderful little bird! How greatly he enriched your lives and the lives of all around you. I sometimes wonder (the Bible doesn’t say anything about it and so we can’t really know down here) but I really can’t help but wonder if God might not graciously permit some of our favorite individual pets, dogs, cats, horses, and so on, to join us in heaven! Somehow I really won’t be surprised if when I get there I’m going to find my favorite yellow retreaver, Laddie, or Tai Anh, my affectionate and dearly loved cat (Siamese/Tabby cross) already waiting for me there with all my loved ones. I think it would be just like God to permit that; don’t you?
Paulie sounds like he led quite an exciting life for a domesticated bird. I don’t think any of our pets ever spent the night at a hotel. Cute pictures of much younger children. Glad also that the play is going well.
Nathan was talking about Paulie the other day. I wonder if Pippin will live as long.
Paulie did impact our lives immensely. Great bird! I even welled up just a bit while reading the entry!
I’ve never preferred birds inside the house….but I know many people have loved them.
This reminds me of our very beloved parakeet Sam. He loved our old house with its high windowsills and ceiling fan to perch on, but when we moved into a more modern house, he was unhappy. I always felt bad about it, because he just always acted scared when we let him out of the cage. And once while we were on vacation he died. The friends who were taking care of him felt terrible, and I always felt guilty that he had never liked the new house. Ah, well, he was a great bird! Thanks for the memories!
Aw. Hugs to all who gave Paulie a wonderful life…….
I didn’t know parakeets could live that long– ours never did.
What a wonderful story of a beloved pet. I teared up just reading about what a blessing he was.
Re: your previous comment, yeah, I’ve sold my soul to the “widget insertion” people. But it’s nice to have the credits and to give Minis in such a liberal fashion!
Aww, what a sweet tribute!
Wow, what a wonderful bird! Sometimes you just take the “luck of the draw” when you get a pet, but Paulie turned out to be a winner. Great memories!
Awwwww. I’ve never loved a bird before, but he sounds like a wonderful person-bird! Nice tribute this.
I’m going to ignore the fact that you just made me cry and explain how you made me laugh. As I read the last sentences I couldn’t help but think, “I hope when I’m old and my hair is thinning that someone could say the same about me: She was pleasant and active and enjoyed her daily bath.”
A good egg indeed!
Little Miss was a very cute baby. Sorry about Paulie, but I think he was pretty long lived for a parakeet. I wish our bird had been so friendly.