Member-only story
The Bonds of Life
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Yesterday, I witnessed a moment that took my breath away. I heard a soft thump at the window and looked out to see a cedar waxwing lying motionless on the deck, its mate standing beside it. The fallen bird was still, lifeless, while its partner stayed close, refusing to leave.
For a moment, I turned away. When I looked again, I saw something that made my heart stop: the living bird had laid down beside its partner, pressing its body close so their heads touched. It closed its eyes and joined the fallen bird in the stillness, as if choosing to let go of life rather than live alone.
It’s a story that made me realize how deeply the bonds of life run — how even in the animal world, connection matters more than survival. In a society that teaches us to keep moving, to keep striving and competing, we often forget how essential that connection is. We measure success by what we accumulate, not by how deeply we love.
But here, in this quiet moment between two small birds, was a truth that we, in our concrete jungles and busy lives, so easily forget: that love, in the end, is more important than anything else. And when it is gone, something inside us longs to go with it.
~ Thisan Yakandawala
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