Born to Fly

For as long as I can remember, birds have been a part of my life. In fact, I’ve always said that if it weren’t for birds, I wouldn’t be here today, literally. My parents went to the same school but never knew each other. What ultimately brought them together was my grandpa’s love for birds. He had an aviary and made part of his living by selling birds. For years, his home was filled with the sounds of chirping and fluttering wings as he cared for them. By the time I was born, he had sold all of his birds, but before that, they played a crucial role in shaping my family’s story. One day, my mom came to buy a bird from him, and that’s when she met my dad. If it weren’t for that chance encounter, brought about by my grandpa’s birds, my parents might never have crossed paths. Birds didn’t just shape my childhood, they’re the reason I exist in the first place. The birds my mom purchased that day were named Max and Kiwi, two cockatiels who became the first birds in my life. My parents told me that as a baby, I was always far more fascinated by those birds than anything else I encountered. My love for birds was immediate, as if it had always been a part of me. Years later, when I was six, my uncle decided to create an aviary just like my grandpa once had. He had so many birds, but he didn’t truly love or care for them properly. To him, they were nothing more than a way to make money. It tore my heart apart to see them live like that, they were neglected and uncared for. So almost every day, I went over to his aviary to clean, feed, and tend to the birds. I couldn’t stand to see them suffer in such horrible conditions. That was when I realized something important, just because someone owns animals doesn’t mean they love them. He called them his birds, but he never treated them with the love and respect they deserved. You can own animals but never give them what they properly need. By the time I was ten, my passion for birds had only grown stronger. I wanted to share that love with others, so I created a YouTube channel called, “My Birds and I,” to educate people on proper bird care and show them the joy that birds bring to my life. By this time, unfortunately, Max and Kiwi had passed away. Though their loss was heartbreaking to me, I continue to cherish their memory. My channel had both positive and negative and comments from the kids from my school who discovered it. Some kids bullied me for it, while others admired my passion. But no matter what anyone thought, I made that channel because I wanted to show the world the joy my birds brought into my life. By the time I was in seventh grade, I was still posting videos when an older girl named Mia, who was in eighth grade, started making fun of me. She constantly mocked my channel, trying to tear me down. But her words never held any weight in my mind. I loved my birds, and nothing she said could ever change that. Her insults were meaningless to me because I knew that what I was doing mattered, not just to me, but to the people who genuinely enjoyed my videos. I refused to let her negativity overshadow the happiness my birds brought me. As I grew older, I realized that I had always loved birds more than my parents did. While they saw them as just pets, I saw them as family. I spent hours caring for them, dedicating myself to their happiness, while my parents never shared that same depth of connection. When they were younger, they may have loved those birds, but as they got older, they began to see them as nothing more than just regular old birds. Some people own animals without wholeheartedly loving them. For me, my birds were everything. Every bit of money I got as a kid, I spent on them, making sure they had the best life possible. Because of my love for birds, I was often bullied. Other kids had dogs and cats, and while people found it acceptable to call their pets family, when I called my birds family, people thought I was weird. For years, I was simply known as “the bird girl,” and then, at some point, I was just seen as weird. It always seemed like people saw birds as nothing more than noisy, messy creatures, but I knew they had a greater purpose. I believe God placed them on this earth for a reason, and it is a gift to be able to walk among them. I’ve been through many difficult times in my life, and in those moments, I always turned to my birds. They brought me comfort when nothing else could. They gave me purpose when I felt lost. All I have ever wanted is to love them, care for them, and show them the appreciation they deserve. Throughout my life, I’ve been asked countless times why I love birds. Usually, I’d say, “I don’t know why, I was simply just born loving birds,” because I never really had an answer. But now, I do. The real reason I love birds is because they are sweet creatures that are so often overlooked. People see birds every day, yet they think nothing of them. But I have always seen them differently. Birds are beautiful, intelligent, and full of personality, far more than most people realize. Even as a kid, I understood that, and I’ve carried that admiration with me my whole life. I have dedicated myself to giving the birds I own a wonderful life because they deserve to be happy and loved just like any other living being. And no matter how the world sees them, I will always know the truth, birds are extraordinary, and they will always have a special place in my heart. Today, I proudly own nine birds, and each day I strive to give them the love, care and the quality of life they truly deserve. They bring so much joy and purpose to my world, and I am committed to ensuring they thrive.