Healing Power of Friendship

I apologize for the lateness of my article this week. I've been in bed with whatever cold has its grip on the upper Midwest. I've been laying there, my blue head pionus, Braynon, in his cage beside me and learning about the healing power of our feathered friends.

It's Thursday morning. I feel awful.. My nose is stuffed; my throat hurts. The alarm wakens me, and I realize I'm not going into work today. I roll over and reset my alarm. However, in the living room, Braynon, with his internal alarm clock, has wakened. He rings his bells first, then when he gets no "good morning" from me, he squawks. I wake, make a doctor's appointment, and when I return, Braynon gets moved.

I know he'll hear me in the bedroom and call for me. So, I move him into my bedroom, right next to my bed. And as I sip on my orange juice, I hear him mimic my sneezes. They sound funny coming from him. He'll puff his head and neck feathers, then look at me, and say, "Good boy!" I chuckle.

All day, Braynon shares with me the healing power of laughter. While my cats curl up beside me, my parrot sits there, happy to share in my company and delighting in a captive audience. He rings his bells, plays with his toys, and occasionally climbs to the top of his cage to beg for peanuts.

Although I went back to work on Friday, I stayed in my bed all weekend, Braynon by my side. He never wavered in his enthusiasm for entertainment. Whether mimicking my sneezes, pronouncing himself a pretty bird or a good boy, Braynon, my blue head pionus, makes a wonderful nurse.

This time, I only had a common cold, and I recovered with rest and fluids. Birds share their healing powers with others as well. Birds visit nursing homes, share the lives of individuals with far more serious illnesses, and enliven the homes of the healthy. If laughter is truly the best medicine, then birds are the perfect doctor.

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