The Bird Still Sings

Mother's Day was approaching in May of 1975. Mom was in the hospital. By this time we were all fairly certain she would not recover from the lymphoma. This would be the last Mother's Day that I would see her. I was at a loss as to what gift to give.

I was in a Hallmark store and noticed the bird figurine on the shelf. It played music. When I wound the stem on the bottom I recognized the tune "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head". I bought it right away.

When I gave it to her that Mother's Day she smiled when she opened it. I could tell she liked it. She wound the stem and said "oh, the bird sings too". A nurse walked in later and admired the figurine. Mom pointed to me and said "that little girl gave this to me" even though I was 26 years old. Then Mom and I looked at each other and started laughing.

She died the next month. Today the bird sits in my foyer on a table. Once in a great while I will wind the stem and listen to the tune and remember that day.