Bluebirdsongs for Grace and Claire

February 6, 2011 - By Roger D.

Back in May, 1998, Beth and I joined most of her Kiefert and Julien families in Tallahassee, Florida, for the wedding of her sister Ann and Chuck Bowling. I married into my wife’s family back in 1992, so I was very much at home with everyone gathered, as we all enjoyed an unforgettable weekend together with Chuck’s family, and their many friends who joined in the fun. The day before their wedding, Ann and Chuck invited us all to join them at one of their favorite places: The Birdsong Nature Center. Located in Thomasville, Georgia, just above the Florida-Georgia border, Birdsong is a 565-acre preserve of wildflower meadows, forests, ponds and swamps. Home to a dazzling array of birds and wildlife, it’s pretty much heaven on Earth. We all learned a lot that day about nature, about Chuck’s father’s ability to fall asleep at the drop of a hat … and a neat program where the center provides essential nesting homes for Bluebirds. So naturally, when Ann and Chuck’s daughter Grace was born, we decided to sponsor a Birdsong Nature Center Bluebird home in her name. And since my mother marked so many special occasions when I was growing up with the added gift of an original poem, I wrote this one for our first niece.

Grace’s Bluebirdsong

When you were still a treasured dream
your parents made-up as a team,
a place was found where they could be
as one, in nature’s harmony.

Within this scenic countryside
Bluebirds are given special pride;
most carefully their homes are set
where all their Bluebird needs are met:

The meadows offer lovely views;
nearby a pond collects the dews;
the Squirrels Woods ensure there’s lots
of food for baby Bluebird tots.

And, as they grow, the Bluebirds fly
out to the Listening Place nearby.
There’s magic there, it must be true,
‘cause if there wasn’t, there’d be no you!

Your mom and dad took family there,
to charm us in that magical air,
so we’ve made sure, there will always be
a “Grace”-ful Bluebird family.

And then, when our second niece Claire was born in 2000, just 10 months ahead of our own baby girl, we kept the tradition alive with her own Birdsong Bluebird haven, and this dedication I wrote 10 years ago.

Claire’s Bluebirdsong

Some time before we’d seen your face –
before we’d even dreamed of Grace –
your family gathered in a spot
that represents, to us, a lot:

For in this place your parents shared,
we saw their world and love declared:
A sanctuary Bluebirds own,
Where nature’s ways are clearly shown.

Here, tiny Bluebirds learn to fly
Below the biggest, bluest sky;
their forest friends play all around
in meadows, trees and underground.

Inside their homes, they’re safe from all
the elements, Winter through Fall.
And every day they sing a song
for you and Grace, to make you strong.

The meadow home where Bluebirds nest
reminds us of what’s good and best:
A home, our friends and family.
Dream of this place, and you’ll be free.

Happily, Birdsong’s still there in that lovely spot in Southern Georgia, and so are the Bluebird homes dedicated to our nieces. In many nice ways, it symbolizes Ann and Chuck’s values, a lot of cherished family memories, and two young ladies who are very special to a lot of us.