Yesterday was too packed for a proper birthday post for my Audree. Today though, I have a story about my fierce, strong, organized, bubbly, baby girl. She was born on Thanksgiving and turned 17 the day before Thanksgiving. On that special Thanksgiving, we both ate our turkey in pretty pj’s. This birthday we celebrated with our family’s favorite beans and rice.
Last spring we didn’t rehab many birds because we were moving. Instead, we did lots of releases for our preceptor Kandie. During one, the whole neighborhood gathered in anticipation of the fuzzy fluff ball they found in a gutter, returning as a full-grown, Great Horned velociraptor. 
One of my favorite things in the world is twisting people’s usual paradigms. The goal, always with a measure of humor, is to help fellow humans realize that things aren’t always as they appear at first glance. I propose that if someone has an experience where they have to rethink something, they will be inclined to look at other, more important concepts, outside of the box in the future.
So, on this day, Audree and I rolled up with the red rescue box to a street full of very excited neighbors. As we moved through the crowd, someone asked, “Where is the person who handles the bird”? It’s true that Audree and I don’t look like your average animal wrangler. We are petite and don’t really dress the part.
Audree, never fazed by much of anything, raised her perfectly manicured finger and replied, “That would be me”. I didn’t look back so as not to risk the gentleman feeling foolish and squelched the huge laughter in my chest.
My personal joy resulting from this tiny interaction is simply that Audree, just by being her full self, caused someone to have to twist their first impression. My belief is that this is important in the world. I’m certain it’s been important in every generation because problems tend to be solved (the big, universal ones) from stepping back and looking at things in a brand new way… and in one small moment, this happened indeed.
I’m so proud of my lovely girl. She is strong, determined, self-assured, and also feminine. Her femininity doesn’t make her fragile. It actually makes her stronger. It’s one of her super-powers which she will continue to cultivate as she embodies womanhood.
What challenge are you facing that you’ve not yet puzzled out? Could a completely new paradigm help you approach it differently? Next time you are stuck, think of my beautiful girl and consider if a bird’s eye view offers an answer.
And Happy Birthday Audree Paris Jeanette Bingaman!
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