Dear Henry

Okay, the weirdest thing happened on Yom Kippur. I dropped everyone off at Adas and then parked down Porter Street right on the edge of Rock Creek Park. When we were walking back down the street after services I explained to Jack that I really like that we go to synagogue in the city.

One of my favorite things to do for the High Holidays is to crush acorns. Shoes with a hard heel (which I never really wear the rest of the year) is my weapon of choice for all of the acorns that fall out of oak trees that line the streets here in DC. I love stomping those suckers.

When we got to the car I opened up the door and Jack said there was a bird in the car. I looked and sure enough there was a little bird with a yellow belly and grey feathers on his wings. I opened the other door and the sun roof so he'd fly out. Instead of flying out he flew from the back of the car straight into the inside of the windshield.



He then positioned himself on the dashboard and closed his eyes. Everyone thought he was sleeping. It was way too fast for me. I thought that he was pretending to be asleep so we'd leave him alone.

I aksed Jack what kind of bird he was and of course Jack told me exactly what kind of bird he was. A finch. I had no clue. Thank god for Jack.

I took an umbrella we had in the car and tried to nudge the finch out. He opened his eyes but had no interest in taking off. I softly prodded him a bit more but he wasn't budging. Finally, I snaked the umbrella under him and he had no choice but to stand on the umbrella. I brought him out of the car and he just stood there on the umbrella with no intention of flying away. I brought him close so everyone could check him out. He was really beautiful. There was no sign that he was hurt or that his wings were injured.

I gently stroked his feathers. Joe not-so-gently poked him. He stayed put.

I said that I was sure the bird was you. Mom said that was doubtful 'cause she is sure you are a praying mantis. I wanted to take him home since he didn't seem to want to be away from us. No-one thought that was a good idea. I always think that when we have an interesting or close call with nature you are somehow involved.

Finally I placed him up on a stone wall away from the road. He stood there for a second and then flew up into a tree. It was the strangest thing.

I was listening to the radio tonight and heard an interview with John Lennon's son, Sean. John was in the Beatles. You liked them. Sean said that he got into his car one day and when he turned the key the radio blared out, "Darling Sean." Those are the last two words of the song that his dad recorded called, "Beautiful Boy." His dad was killed in New York when Sean was young.

Sean said that he was having a bad day and when he heard those words from his father on the radio he was comforted. He said he didn't totally understand how the universe works, but it was a nice moment. That is how I felt about the bird.