You are not just a memory.

I went like two weeks without really thinking about dad…and I feel bad. I miss him. I don’t ever want to forget him. But, I just want life to go on.

That’s it.

I’ve seen life. I saw death.

Today as I was walking from the Library to my apartment, I passed over a concrete sidewalk. All of a sudden I looked down and there I gasped. I stopped there; stared for a second and looked around, wondering if anyone had seen what I had. There, lying on the floor was a dead bird; a dead baby bird. I don’t know how old it was, but I’m sure it’s family misses it.

I saw its poor lifeless body; it’s young soul. It never had a chance—or perhaps he was just sleeping.

It’s weird, you know, I’ve never thought about death this way. I’ve never had a pet growing up so I never experienced a death like this. I’ve seen dead animals all the time, but I don’t know what it was about this bird that made me sad—maybe because it was a baby.

It made me think, so birds go to heaven? What happens to them when they die? All sorts of questions came to mind.

I told my sister about the bird and she said not to worry, that she saw two dead birds last week and they’re keeping dad company in heaven. It made me smile. I remember a long time ago—I had to be 13 or 14 and he had come back from a walk around the park—but this time be brought a friend.

He had been walking around outside and he stepped on a bird—he was so sad that he hurt the bird that he brought it home and we took care of it for a while. I remember mom laughing at what he did, but I thought it was sweet. I don’t remember what ever happened to that bird, but I can’t help but smile when I think of my dead dad and that dead bird—together in heaven. I hope they’re at peace.