The Bird, the Chimney, and the Whisper of Spirit Guides

Hi everyone,

On the morning of the Summer Solstice, my three kitties and I heard something fall down the old chimney. It was a bird, fluttering and flapping its wings, desperately trying to get out.

I live in an old house. I imagine people once cooked on a woodstove connected to that chimney. I don’t have a stove there anymore, but there’s still a hole in the wall where the chimney used to be. I usually keep it sealed and hidden behind a small framed picture.

This had happened once before, so I knew what to do.

First, I put my three cats in a room and closed the door to keep them safe and out of the way while the bird was in the house.

Then, I closed all the curtains to block out any light except from the open door—giving the bird a clear path to freedom.

I was ready. I carefully opened the old chimney hole.

Silence.

I waited. And waited some more. But nothing.

Eventually, I figured the bird must have found its way out on its own. So, I let the kitties out, opened the curtains, and put everything back in place. My cats began sniffing around, curious about what had happened.

Then we heard a faint flutter.

We all stopped and listened, but again, silence. Still, from the way my cats were acting, I knew the bird was still in the chimney.

So, I set it all up again.

I shone a flashlight down into the hole and gently spoke to the bird,

"I know you're tired, but if you can make it up to here, you can rest."

I heard some rustling, but no bird appeared. This one was exhausted.

So I encouraged it again,

"Come on, you can do it. You just can't stay where you are now."

Then there it was. A little head peeked out from the hole. It was a juvenile Northern Flicker.

I opened the door to let it out, but the poor thing couldn’t see it. It flew around, confused, bumping into the wall. And suddenly one of my cats appeared from nowhere! I quickly scooped her up, put her in the bathroom, and shut the door.

When I turned around, the bird was on the floor just a meter from the open door.

As I approached, it backed away a little, so I stepped back and gently encouraged it again,

"You're almost there. Keep going."

It was under the table and chairs, so close to the door. I didn’t want it to hurt itself.

Again I whispered, "You can do it."

The bird slowly walked under the table, past the chair, and stood right in front of the open door.

I screamed inside, "Yes! Finally! You can fly now!"

And it did.

It soared into the sky.

I was ecstatic. So grateful to have helped it.

Later, as I reflected on the whole experience, something clicked.

The words I had spoken to the bird…

“You can rest once you get here. I know you can do it.”

“You’re almost there.”

“Keep going.”

They were the exact words our guides whisper to us when we’re struggling.

And the fact this happened on the Summer Solstice, such a powerful turning point. It was a message. A reminder that no matter how hard life gets, we’re never truly alone. Our guides are always with us, helping us, cheering us on every step of the way.

What have you learned from an animal recently?

Love and Peace

Keiko