Yesterday I met up with my Mom in Riverside Park here in New York City. She waited about ten minutes to tell me that she had found an abandoned half hatched (still in it’s egg) robin or sparrow’s egg on the street. It has been super rainy and windy the past week, so it must have fallen out of it’s nest. “I put it on a warm sock near a candle. It’s moving around like crazy! I see it’s heart beating!” she said “Now what do I do?” My animal-loving heart starting immediately beating out of its chest. I told her to run upstairs and get the egg, put it in a box, and bring it to me. She came down with a little egg the size of a gumball, with a tiny beak poking out, opening and closing, either in pain or looking for food from its Mommy. My breastmilk began to leak a little. I literally wanted to breastfeed this nickle sized creature. I called all of my animal rescue friends, and was given a billion places to take the chick. I ended up at Animal General’s Wild Bird Fund on 88th and Columbus where I was shocked to hear that New York is the ONLY major city to not have a wildlife rehab center. The Wild Bird Fund is run by a gentle lady named Karen Heidgerd who told me eggs as little as the one my Mom found weren’t usually viable, because they “need their Mother’s” but that she would take home the egg and see if a Morning Dove she had at home who had some eggs, would hatch this little teeny egg. If not, she said she would euthanize the little creature so s/he wouldn’t be in pain anymore.
The site of this tiny thing’s heart beating, little limbs flailing, and mouth opening and closing is a visual that will sit in my soul forever. I mean, if I weren’t already vegan… I would have gone veg for life at that very moment. But I digress. If human babies were dropped in the wild, without their Mom’s, they certainly wouldn’t survive either. Humans have created this culture of formula and Nannies, but in truth, babies need their Mommy’s. I see the kids all over the Upper East Side without their Mommy’s all day long, being pushed by Nannies on their cell phones.. and I could swear, I hear them calling out for their Mommy’s.
So I’ll say it, and I’ll spray it… KIDS NEED THEIR MOMS as much as this robin needed it’s Mom. Human baby may not die, but it’s spirit weans and it lessens it’s faith in love. I see the sad eyes in these kids. A few days ago I saw a set of triplet babies, being pushed by three nannies. THREE. Probably man-made (IVF) multiples, this couple had gone through all that work to not raise their own babies? I don’t get it. I think our society needs a wake up call. If you don’t have time to be a full time Momma, don’t have kids. It should be that simple. And there is absolutely no shame in choosing to be a career maven, and not a baby toting lady. It’s one thing to work once your child is a wee bit older (1 and up) and have some assistance, but when it gets to the point where you have a weekend nanny (my next door neighbors have two kids, and two nannies. I just recently met the Mom after living here for a year) – shit needs to change. Could our society overwhelmed with anxiety, depression, and disorders perhaps be a symptom of abandonment? If we all were breastfed and attachment parented, would we all still be on anti-depressants?
My son Panther is on my chest, near my body, with me 24 hours a day. He sleeps with me, nurses on demand, and is mostly in a baby carrier over a stroller. He has zero stranger anxiety, goes to anyone, is happy as could be, and is noticeably different from most of the kids in his classes. He is fearless of all animals, people, and is so loving and affectionate that he would kiss most strangers if I allowed him to. This robin or sparrow reminded me of keeping my child as close to me as possible, as long as possible for optimum growth, both physically and emotionally. We need to remember that all creatures need nurturing from their Mother’s, that optimum survival is integral to closeness to one’s Mother. I’m still praying for this little egg, and can’t stop thinking about her. I hope for a happy ending, and pray for her little spirit to be with her Mother one day again – here or up there in birdy heaven.
The beautiful way it should have been;
In honor of this life I found, please donate to the Wild Bird Fund. Even $5 will help. The money will be used to fund the building of a dedicated wildlife and education rehabilition center in NY, desperately needed.
