The "Learning About Love From Her Father & A Tiny Bird" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article that was published in the "Living" section of my Lancaster Sunday Newspaper that was titled "She learned about love from her father and a tiny bird." Story was written by Nella Seward and was recently published in the Lancaster Newspaper.  Nella had just turned 17 when she arrived in the United States and began senior year classes in the United States.  This particular evening she had just returned home from school on the school bus.  As she approached her house, she noticed a small bird sitting on the steps of her house.  The bird was very small and struggling to stand.  She thought it might be a sparrow.  She carefully picked it up and held it in her hand.  Naturally, the bird was scared and trying to get away from Nella, but he was scared and couldn't stand or fly.  He was very small and may have fallen from his nest in a nearby tree.  Shortly after, her father arrived home as she was consoling the little bird.  He saw Nella holding the bird and came to inspect what was going on.  He immediately took the little sparrow, caressed his head and called him "Bello."   Her father examined the bird and told Nella that one of his legs seemed to be broken.  He took a wooden toothpick, cut it to a smaller size and carefully applied it to the broken leg of the bird and wrapped it with soft thread.  He then fed the bird with bread crumbs that he placed in his mouth as the bird's mother would have done.  Bello stayed in a man-made nest on an enclosed porch.  Every day Nella's father would talk to Bello and place the bird on his shoulder and take him for a walk.  Nella became jealous of the affection that her father gave to Bello.  Eventualy the bird's leg healed and it's wings were full grown.  So, one day Nella's father put Bello on his index finger, went outside the porch and said to the bird in Italian "Va bene Bello.  E'ora che tu torni alla tua Natura.  Stai bene, poi tornare a casa." (You are OK, Bello, to return to nature, to go home).  He caressed him, kissed him on his head and with a quick shift of his arm he said "Go."  The bird didn't move, but kissed Nella's father's cheek.  With another nudge from Nella's father, the bird flew to a nearby branch and then back to Nella's father.  This went on for weeks with the bird flying to Nella's father and giving him a peck kiss to his cheek.  Nella later in life heard that if you love somebody, let him go.  If that love belongs to you, it will return to you.  At age 17, I did not know this, but in old age, I know now one thing that in my life I must have loved much, because I feel love all over me.  I remember at the age of 10, I was confirmed to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  I asked Jesus, if He wanted to give me a gift, let it be love.  On the day that I met Bello years ago, Jesus answered my prayer with my love for Bello. Something that Nella will never forget!    Nella now lives in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Nella came to America more than 60 years ago.  And she has finally shared her story with all the readers of the Lancaster newspaper!  And now, with all of you!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.