Magpies collect items to decorate their nests. They forage for things to make their home a little brighter like we all do. It’s a safe space, that little collection of twigs and leaves, pillow fluff and scraps of fabric. I wonder if they remember where and why they picked up each stolen treasure - the ribbon from a little girl’s pigtails, a bottle cap from outside the pub. 

Whether the bird views his scavenged masterpiece with nostalgia or not, my soft heart sees its beauty not just for the arrangement but for all it represents. This one little nest is an ode to the interconnectedness of us all. Grass gives way to pavement, blue skies are dominated by man-made monstrosities, but here in this corner of the world a baby bird nestles beside a lost earring, a bit of newspaper serving as a pillow. 

In weaving a simple tapestry to welcome his children into their home, this little magpie has shown us we can choose to coexist - to create beauty from the scraps of our lives. We can choose to thrive together instead of fighting for dominance to the detriment of us all.

Today, I invite you to the nest: a place to be held, to confront that which is different from us, and, together, to fly.

—Natianna Ohmart