Bye-Bye Birdie

Tonight, I (Jess) took the two boys for a late-night bike ride. We rode past the music building and as Ethan and I often do, we stopped to listen to the piano music. Tonight, it was a beginner student practicing scales. As we were listening, I noticed the painting room and so we rode over to get a closer look at the sketches. While I was looking, Ethan shouted, "mom- come look at this!"

I went over, and on a ledge was a dead bird, perfectly laid, as if it had been standing there looking around and just fell over. We started talking about how not even a sparrow can fall to the ground without God's notice. How he knows when we've had a bad day, when we've got a new bike, and when we're tired. It's a good reminder for all of us- that not the smallest detail of life escapes God's notice.

When we got home and I'd put the bikes down in the basement, we started to climb up just as 6 minority boys ages 6-9 ran up behind us. Since Baxter climbs stairs at the pace of a arthritic elderly woman, we let them pass. As we walked behind them, we watched them stop at each floor and sing a funny little song about food (I didn't catch all the words, but I could get the general jist of it). Ramadan started last night, so food is on the brain, since devout Muslims will fast during each day for the next month. As each apartment opened their door to acknowledge the boys, they would hold out their pillowcase filled with candy, fruit, and money, and the people would hurry to get something to offer them for their song. It kind of reminded me of trick-or-treating back in America. This happened on 3 of the 5 floors leading up to our apartment. As they passed the 5th floor following the boys and I up to the 6th floor, I knew it was our turn. So Doug came to the door and we all got serenaded by the boys celebrating Ramadan. We hurried to get them some money and the Ethan and Baxter offered it to them, and the boys in turn gave them each an apple. The boys can't wait to eat their apples for breakfast tomorrow!