Birdbath

Birdbath

There is an old cement birdbath sitting in Judy’s garden. There is nothing attractive about it. It is scared and chipped with a rust-grey mold lining the bowl. With all the colorful birdbaths on the market, you would think my birdbath is beyond salvation. Except for the fact that it is a family heirloom and my inheritance.

This birdbath goes back some sixty years. I remember the day my dad brought it home. Back then it was new and beautiful. It became the centerpiece of the large horseshoe garden in our yard. How do I remember? Because my siblings and I were the slave labor that weeded this garden and kept the birdbath clean and filled.

As I moved on in life, I forgot about the birdbath. When my parents moved from one home to another, the birdbath followed. I am not sure how it came into my possession. But I do remember some conversation among family members wanting to get rid of the eyesore. Because I was old enough to remember its origin, I said I would take it. I figured it would be a visible reminder of my youth.

It has been in my possession now for some time. It has accompanied me on several moves to and from Montana. No worse for wear; it is an oasis for birds, deer, and bear in our neighborhood. Our grandkids love to splash each other with its water and float flowers from the garden there as well. When I turn on my computer, there is a photo of our garden in full bloom with the old birdbath in the middle.

On the warm summer afternoons, I sit on the patio under the colorful awning and watch the robins, wrens, chickadees, western tanagers, and humming birds stop by for a free drink or a quick bath. I am reminded of the old hymn: “All things bright and beautiful, al creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all. He gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell how great is God Almighty, who has made all things well.” Amen!