Stephanie Stephan: So welcome to a brand new episode of Purrs, Barks and Tweets with Love. My name is Stephanie Stefan. This is a podcast for animal lovers such as yourself. You are in good hands. Today I have a story about ⁓ the wig blackbird. ⁓ That the name. ⁓ When first moved to Oregon years ago, ⁓ I walking around in the neighborhood with my dog, Spikey. ⁓ As know, Spikey is ⁓ quite character. at that moment ⁓ started listening to this particular sound that was so exceptionally unique. ⁓ was something like I had never heard before. ⁓ was trying to locate where is this coming from? ⁓ this a bird? I've never heard this bird before. ⁓ ⁓ are very familiar with the sound. ⁓ you grew up with it ⁓ you do not think too much of it. For me, however, ⁓ listened to birds. In different parts of the world, this particular sound was completely unique for me and it was the first time I ever heard it. It took me a while to have the name for this bird. I had to ask some of my friends, I had to take pictures, inquire, ask around, and finally I was able to identify that this was the Red Winged Blackbird and I was so happy. During the walks with Spikey, I started to look forward to listening to the songs. I would hear it in different places. It would be near the trail where we go or in the neighborhood in tall trees. Sometimes it would be close to a school. It would be in the forest. It would be in different places. I was very good at locating the bird and I was so happy to hear it in different places in different days. One day in particular, however, this is where the connection with this bird deepened. It had been about an hour and a half of walking with Spiky and no bird. No bird song, no red-winged blackbird. I could not locate it anywhere. I was just about 10 minutes away from home ⁓ finally, ⁓ of nowhere, ⁓ an area where I had never seen it before, ⁓ The bird flew and perched right above me on the electric line. I was so happy because it immediately started singing. It almost felt like it was a private concert for me because there were no other people around. It was just Spikey and me. That was it. ⁓ sang and sang and sang. ⁓ were both there standing, the two of us, Spikey and me, ⁓ just... So happy, delighting in the sound of that song. Finally, Spikey said, okay, it's enough. I'm done waiting. I am ready to keep walking. He got a little ANC and I respected that because obviously the walks are not, they're not for me. They are honestly, they really are for him. I can go and work out at the gym. I can do all the things I want to do, but the walks are... exclusively for his delight. Of course, I do enjoy them a lot as well, obviously. But the priority for the walk is him, not me. For that reason, I said, okay, Spikey, it's okay, we'll go. I believe we might have been standing there listening to the song for about 10 minutes. the cool thing about that is ⁓ soon as I took one step forward to leave, ⁓ bird flew away. ⁓ if to tell me in that moment, ⁓ was here ⁓ exclusively for you. ⁓ has been delivered. ⁓ was so thankful, ⁓ full of gratitude and so ⁓ that moment ⁓ because Out of nowhere, this bird came exclusively to answer my wish. And it was not that I specifically said, hey birds, come and sing for me. Because that's not exactly how that happened. It was more of, this is the one day I didn't get to hear the song, I feel a little sad about it. And the bird came and changed that around for me. I believe... Correct me if I'm wrong, if you feel differently about this, I believe this is truly animal communication. But not only that, I feel it is more of a relationship. Not just with this particular bird, but with nature. It just feels so special to me that we are able to send a message and that nature receives the message in one way or another response to it. That to me is not just a conversation. It feels more of a relationship. That moment just really marked for me how special this bond is with everything around us. Because it truly highlights that we are part of everything and everything is part of us. We are more interconnected than we really think. It's just amazing. It reminds me of a story. I was on a trip a couple of years ago somewhere in Scotland and one of the people in the group, I remember, I was talking with her on one particular day and I had mentioned that I I got a certification in herbalism because I was developing a deeper connection with herbs and with plants. believe that plants, ⁓ like everything else in creation, has sentience. ⁓ and they are all here to teach us something too. For that reason this nice lady came and asked me Stephanie do you know by any chance why this particular flower showed up in my garden just for no reason at all I've been living in this house for many years I've never seen this plant before I did not plant it my partner did not plant it but it just showed up last year and I asked her the first question that I asked her was has there been any grief in your life just recently? Because this particular plan that she was mentioning is very supportive of the heart. And not the heart as an organ or a muscle, but the heart in terms of emotional pain. she said yes. ⁓ Then I asked her was this around the time when the flower showed up and Then she gave it some thought to put the two and two together and she realized yes Yes, it was around that time It was just such a lovely feeling to understand how out of nowhere this flower came to her rescue. Not to her rescue because of course she can rescue herself, but to support her during that time. That is such an exquisite example of how all of creation is all around us, connected to us at all times. Whether we pay attention to it or we do not, that's a different story. But the connection is there. What is beautiful about this, knowing this particular story, that perhaps we are all invited to pay more attention to those subtle little messages ⁓ that are receiving ⁓ from from trees, and from animals. Because we are all in this together and it's not just the communication that is originating from us. Sometimes the communication is originating from them. Because this is a relationship. We are all in harmony. And when we are connecting from our heart, we are better listeners. Not only that, our message to the rest of creation becomes more clear. and also more positive. I hope that these stories of the Red-winged Blackbird and the story of this flower give you an indication of how special it is to all coexist together. And perhaps gives you also some inspiration, if you haven't before, to respect all of nature a little bit more and show more TLC to Mother Earth. because this is truly a relationship. This interconnection is magical. And I hope that you give some space in your day to experience a little bit of this magic. Because when you intend, magical things happen. I would love for you to check out my book. If you like this story, there are more stories in my book. The Path to Unconditional Love by Stephanie Stefan. You can find it anywhere online. And if you also would like to check out classes that I will be teaching the near future, also stay for future podcasts. will be scheduling some classes in Kumara and other locations as so that there are options to do it online or in person. Until then. ⁓ I hope you are kind to others and especially all the animals in Mother Earth.