A Smidgen of Hope

A Smidgen of Hope

Sarah was in the fall of her life and experiencing one of the worst winters she had ever seen! Being 62 was not easy, especially without her husband of 40 years, Ben. So many were ready and eager to take advantage of her declining years and sizable bank account…

In the last 10 years of her life, Sarah developed a negative attitude about life. With her husband gone and no relatives to turn to for comfort and support, she grieved and was angered that she alone had to solve problems and confront people she’d rather not look at, let alone deal with.

It was on such a day that Sarah found spring—the kind of spring that lingers and eventually finds a home in an aching and lonely heart. Funny, it didn’t come from inheriting a million dollars, though that would have been fine with Sarah. No, it came in a tiny form…So tiny, she almost missed it that cold, January morning.

The tiny sparrow was resting all by itself on her window pane that cold morning and began pecking at her window sill. So insistent was the bird that Sarah had to go to the window to see what all the racket was about.

The sparrow sat there, perched, looking through her window in quiet stillness staring at Sarah. Sarah, in return, began to stare back. The sparrow looked at her as if to say, “Hey, it’s me! Remember me? Winter’s almost over, Hon, and spring is on its way!”

The bird kept looking at Sarah and seemed to be growing a smile on that weather-torn beak and even though the moment lasted only seconds, Sarah felt herself straightening up, smiling and felt a smidgen of hope swelling up inside of her. She was happy again, after many long years and all because of a little bird she later referred to as spring!

Toni Star 2012