Dad, His Love of Birds and the Collection That Kept Growing…~By Gabrielle Angel

It all started so long ago and quite innocently. Dad loved birds, he really did but did that ever kick off quite the collection. When Autumn and I were maybe 7 or 8 years old we took his love for birds to a whole other level.

We decided he would simply love and cherish a bird statue for his birthday. Mom took us shopping, that’s what we picked out for him as his gift. It was a beautiful little bluebird, he was going to just love it!

Well, of course he did because Dad loved anything us twinnies could pick out. That’s the sign of a wonderful Dad, isn’t it? No matter how weird, wacky, or wonderful…They just love the gift their kids present them with.

Dad was always quite amusing how he used to guess what his gifts were, while they were still wrapped I mean. That made it kind of more fun for Autumn and I, then the little sisters that followed us.

Back to this bird collection…It got totally out of hand! With each Birthday, Christmas and Father’s Day that followed the original bluebird statue he kept receiving more bird statues. Some of us searched endlessly for the one of a kind and most unusal bird we could find. From robin, dove, owl, penguin, cardinal, yellow canary, blue jay, pheasant, love birds, swan, finch and a wren. Oh my goodness, that’s only twelve I’ve listed. But trust me this list could just keep going on and on and on. I am not kidding, there are tons of birds in Dad’s collection.

Even though he has sadly been gone for these eight years the collection still resides in our childhood home. Mom still lives there, she keeps the bird statues company. 🙂 She may not think that was so funny, the collection is literally well over 100. What one sister didn’t find for Dad, another one would. We would all try to outdo each other in the unusual or different bird, how embarassing that is to admit, but it’s true. It was just almost too much for the rest of us the year one sister actually found a very unusual and very colorful macaw! We were of course all secretly envious in wishing we had been the one to find it.

Dad kept smiling and gracefully accepting all the bird statues, bless his heart. After awhile he resorted to building shelves over each picture window, the one shelf is the size of a whole wall. He also made assorted cabinets, somehow all the bird statues found a home and spot of it’s own.

I would have to be at our childhood home to count the birds actually. I just know there are many, many, many birds and all given to him by us 6 daughters and the grandchildren, too.

It all started with a bluebird that Autumn and I just knew Dad would love, it makes me smile. The twinnies started the whole thing rolling!

I remember having a chat with Dad about the birds and he was amazing how he could still remember who got him what. I also had to ask if he really wanted a bird collection, he laughed that contagious and joyful laugh of his. “of course I did, how could you ask such a thing?”

I miss you so much Dad, don’t worry your bird collection will stay safe! Well, of course you know that already Dad, you are watching over all of us (and your birds) from Heaven, after all.

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