The Gift of the Bermuda Blue Egg

Limitations

If we don’t believe in ourselves nobody else will. Our ability to achieve great things is limitless and restricted only by our imagination, sense of purpose, and willingness to sacrifice. Never be dissuaded by others from making noble attempts.

The Gift of the Bermuda Blue Egg

"I hate the afternoons," Amelia thought. "The grain on the side of the road is always covered by dust and dirt sprayed from the wheels of passing carts. She found it necessary to scratch and peck at the ground to get a few more kernels of precious grain. The grain was given only once a day. Being late for the morning scattering of the golden seeds by the kind old lady at the end of the lane made life more difficult. At the same time Amelia lamented that life as a chicken was hard.

Chickens are interesting. They flock without flying, unless fleeing the attack of an errant dog or hungry cat. But flock they do and Amelia often longed for solitude and wished she could extract herself from the crush of the thundering clucking herd. She hated being a chicken. The only things that she had of any value were her eggs. And those were gathered by the kind old lady who sold them to pay for the grain she provided for all the chickens and those obnoxious roosters.

Suddenly, Amelia saw another stray seed, a kernel of the golden gift that had been missed. She must get it before another of her sisters beat her to it. Amelia slowly maneuvered herself towards the treasured nugget.

She had learned not to draw attention to her self when going after something everyone else wanted, even when there is no shortage of it. Identifying something that could be obtained without effort would surely cause a stampede of skinny legs, fluffy bodies, wings flapping, with flying feathers, and much loud clucking. She had learned that planning and preparation would prevent the seed of pursuit from being lost in a cloud of dust caused by a chaotic stampede. When this happens no one gets the prize and the work of looking must start all over again.

Amelia felt fortunate because she was different from her sisters and cousins who made up the rest of the flock. She always had her head up and beak in the air. Most of the other chickens felt that this was a sign of conceit but she knew better and didn't care. Keeping her head up allowed her not only to see what was around her, but the horizon as well.

The little old lady had been giving the golden seeds to the chickens since before Amelia was hatched. It was a tradition talked about all over the island. Long ago Amelia had organized her cousins and sisters. They went to the old lady's house every morning before the grain was delivered and laid their eggs in a box outside the back door. Amelia, however, was the only chicken that went there every day, of every week, of every year. The other chickens were sometimes lazy and just left their eggs in the field rather than make the small extra effort to deliver them to the little old lady.

Amelia was close, but not quite there. The kernel beckoned. It was large and there were two small seeds next to it. Just a few more feet and the prize would be hers. She took three side steps, turned, dipped down, and cleverly harvested the seeds from the dusty road. Food! She felt much better, and none of the others had noticed how clever she was.

She looked for additional seeds and thought, "Is this all Life is about? Eat, sleep, lay eggs, hatch chicks, and gad about the countryside keeping a watchful eye on the fields and other hiding places to prevent oneself from becoming a meal for a predator?" There must be more. There must be other reasons for life.

It was getting late and the sun was beginning to go down. As was the habit of all the chickens, she went to her roost, tucked her head under her wing and began to think about sleep. As she drifted off she could not help but wonder about what she should do with the rest of her life.

Predawn had arrived and sunlight began to crawl over the horizon. The roosters crowed to herald the coming of the sun and a new day. Amelia spread her wings and stretched her neck and legs to chase the sleep from her body. It was time to make the journey to the little old lady's house to obtain her morning grain. The old lady's house was about 300 meters from the place that the chickens congregated. It was down the lane lined by a cedar fence on both sides.

Amelia went behind the house as she did each day, mounted the box, clucked a few times and left her egg for the lady. Sahara, Bonnie, Daffney, and Margaret did the same. Others might join them later, or maybe they might just be too lazy today. No matter. The participants changed from day to day.

Waiting for the day to begin she thought about her life and realized there were many things which were too far away for her to see, and beyond her ability to understand. Suddenly she heard the little old lady coming with her apron full of grain. She ran to the feeding spot and watched the other chickens scramble in the same direction, placing one foot awkwardly in front of the other creating that silly waddling walk that chickens have. They moved in unison. If one went right they all went right; if one went left they all went left. No one seemed to lead and all seemed to follow.

Amelia was watching the flock as the lady tossed the grain in a spreading fashion moving her hand from left to right broadcasting the grain uniformly over the ground. The chickens ran and started pecking the ground in order to get their fair share of the morning meal. Amelia stood there while the others ate. She looked at the lady, staring into her eyes. She wondered what the lady thought.

Without warning the lady looked down at Amelia and smiled. She bent her knees and held out a hand full of grain, offering it to Amelia in a very kind and gentle way. This had never happened before and Amelia approached the hand. As she did so she looked up at the lady. The lady smiled as Amelia started eating the offered seeds. Oh how she wished she could talk to the lady, how she wished she could smile back. But all that was impossible because she was just a chicken.

Amelia wondered what she could do to show the lady she was not afraid, that she cared, and appreciated the lady’s kindness. It hit her. She bent her neck and placed her head against the side of the lady's hand and just left it there. She did not move, she stood motionless for a long measure of time. Surprisingly the lady did not move either. Had they made contact? Had she, a chicken, communicated with a human? How wonderful she thought. She raised her head, looked up at the lady and just stood there without moving, gazing into the lady's eyes. Good!

The lady smiled and placed her hand behind Amelia's head and scratched a little on the neck, patted her on the head, and returned to her house. Amelia was proud. This had never happened to any chicken before and it was the talk of the flock for the rest of the day.

That day Amelia learned love and caring. She learned that no matter how different creatures are they can create a common bond that brings understanding and comfort to each.

This ritual continued on for several weeks. After the morning meal was concluded Amelia would fly to the top of the fence and spend several hours looking out over the horizon for something, anything that could help change her life. She also spent time thinking about what she could do to show the lady how special she thought she was. But after each session she always came to the same conclusion. She could do nothing. What she wanted was more difficult than she could imagine and further away than she could ever go. She could accomplish nothing more than the other chickens and that made her very, very, sad.

Sitting on the fence each morning she would eventually fly to the ground and wander around the area looking for newly bloomed flowers. She especially liked the red flowers that grew along the side of the lane on which the lady lived. The flowers made Amelia very happy when in bloom because they smelled so very, very good. She also liked to walk between the huge bushes that lined the road. She would dart in and out of the dark caverns created by the bushy leaves. She was always very wary and careful because sometimes a cat or a dog would sleep in the dark bushy hideaways and she didn’t want to become and accidental meal.

One day she was walking between the bushes and overheard two crows talking about some berries they had found down by a pond that was several miles away. The berries looked delicious and the crows had eaten their fill, and vowed never to eat them again. They were blue and everything that came out of their bodies for the next several days was bright blue as well. Amelia thought it was amusing but didn’t give it another thought and went back to be with her flock.

The next morning, after sitting on the fence for several hours, Amelia had a realization. She had been wishing not doing. In order to accomplish anything she must take action. Right then and there she decided to change her life and take an adventurous journey.

She flew from the fence and rapidly waddled to the spot the crows had been the day before hopping they were still there. They were. She asked for directions to the pond where the blue berries were and told them she wanted to visit it.

The crows, being cynical, told her how far away the pond was and of the dangers that would be lying in wait for a defenseless chicken. They told her how it was much too far for her to travel and that she, being a mere chicken, could not possibly make the journey and return home successfully. The crows worked hard at telling her just how senseless her effort would be.

This made Amelia mad and she thought, “How dare they tell me what they think I can or cannot do?” It would make no difference to them if she succeeded or failed in her quest. She knew that if she did what every one else wanted her to do, and acted exactly how they acted she would be nothing more than average. That was the answer she had been looking for. She must take her own journey and travel her own path.

It was decided. Amelia marched right back to where the crows were and asked, no demanded the directions to where the pond and berries were. She was so forceful and full of confidence that the crows dared not refuse. They made a smooth place in the dirt and drew a map showing the way to the exact location of the pond. The crows told her of all the dangers she would encounter and carefully highlighted them as well.

Amelia studied the map for several hours. She walked around it, pecking at it with her beak, and made notations in the dirt. She devised a plan that she was sure would work, provide her with the greatest chance for success, and the ability to return home safely. When she had learned all she needed to know, asked all the questions she could think to ask, and felt ready; she thanked the crows for their assistance. When she left the crows laughed, joked, and told each other that just a chicken would never survive such a journey and would never make it back alive. They were sure she would fail.

Amelia had a two part plan. First she would travel beyond the known boundaries of her life to learn more. Second, she wanted to show the little old lady how much she cared by giving her something special that she created herself. She would give a precious gift from her heart.

Amelia returned to the flock and informed her sisters and cousins about the journey on which she intended to depart after the morning meal. They were shocked. They tried to talk her out of making such a trip. They told her she could never succeed. They gave her no encouragement. She just shrugged and told them that she would make the trip anyway. She, after all, was not asking them to join her or even asking for their permission; she was just telling them what she intended to do.

Without warning one of the roosters jumped in front of Amelia. He was demanding that she give up this silly nonsense. He strutted around and pointed out that she was not a rooster, she was just a chicken, and that such things would be dangerous and difficult for a rooster, but for a chicken they would be impossible!

Amelia scoffed. The more resistance the flock gave her the more determined she was to make this journey.

The next morning Amelia went directly to the lady's house and left her egg in its usual place. She waited for the grain distribution and ate the seeds, rested her head on the lady's hand and stood motionless for an extended period of time. She looked up at the lady and stared into her eyes as if to say goodbye, knowing that if her quest was not successful they would never see each other again.

Amelia went to the flock next. Her sisters and cousins were cold because they did not approve of this journey, and were upset because she was going to make it anyway. That was the way of life Amelia thought, but no one was going to deter her now, so she said her good byes.

Amelia walked down the lane along the fence and onto the main road. She reached the road and began to walk in the direction of the pond. She walked and walked and walked. Occasionally she would glance back to see how far she had gone. The little old lady's house was getting smaller each time she looked. She could no longer see the congregation place or even determine where it was located. After several hours the house also disappeared into the landscape.

After a while Amelia began to wonder if this quest was really a good idea and if everyone that had warned her against it hadn't been right about its dangers and the foolhardiness of the trip. Finally she decided that since she was making the journey she just as well enjoy it. As she went forward she quit looking back. She began to run in and out of the bushes, she stopped when she saw flowers, smelled their scent, and enjoyed their beauty. As she progressed she found seeds to eat, water to drink, and the occasional crow to talk to. She was enjoying the trip more with each step she took. It was becoming an adventure of learning unlike anything she had ever done before.

The sun began its decent towards night. It was late afternoon and Amelia had forgotten about time and become lost in the enjoyment of the moment. Suddenly she saw a stand of tall bushes in the distance. They were green and covered with the most beautiful berries like nothing she had ever seen before. They were all blue. She looked back and could see nothing that she recognized. She had no idea how far she had come, but she knew she had arrived.

It was almost dark by the time she reached the blue berry bushes. Half of her journey was over and for the first time she realized that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to doing, especially if she believed within her heart that she could do it. It did not matter what others thought. Her feelings were all that counted.

Amelia decided that she must spend the night. She looked around for a safe place to roust and felt very unsafe with anything she could find on the ground. She surveyed the bushes and noticed that they were very thick in mass but the branches were very thin. She wondered if the bush could support her weight. If it could it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for any predator to get up high enough to harm her. She jumped and flew to the top of the tallest 7-foot bush, tested the strength, and hunkered down. When she was sure the bush would provide enough support she placed her head under her wing and drifted off to sleep, content with the knowledge that she had accomplished half of what she had set out to do.

The light of the predawn fills the sky above the horizon. This is when the birds rise and start to sing providing the air with their beautiful natural octaves that blend together to form an exquisite rhapsody of natures music. Amelia awoke for the first time in her life to something other than the bantered crowing of roosters. It was wonderful with beauty beyond anything that she had ever seen, or heard, before.

The pond was warmer than the natural air, causing light steam and fog to rise from it. The rays of the sun glistened off the dew-encrusted leaves and danced within the reflection of the mist that covered the surface of the pond. Early morning light twinkled everywhere and the natural life of the area sang in harmony with everything. Amelia was indeed thankful that she had taken this journey filled with the risk of loosing everything that she knew and held dear, even to the extent that she risked her life to be here. She would not have missed it for anything. The beauty of the reality of this excursion far exceeded all of her expectations.

Amelia knew that without risk she would never have received this reward. If her life ended now the entire adventure would be well worth it. She sat nestled in the top of the bush and did not move for several hours. She looked at her new horizon and was amazed by the beauty of what she saw. This was indeed a place that was lovely beyond anything she could ever have imagined.

Amelia was hungry and decided to complete the next part of the plan. She began to eat the blue berries from the bush. She was a little disappointed as the berries were not as sweet as they appeared. They were just a bit tart. But in order to do what she needed to do, she decided she must eat as many of the berries as possible. With each bite it became harder to go to the next. Each swallow caused her throat to swell and her gullet to try and reject each new deposit.

She ate until she felt ill and could eat no more. She flew from her perch in the blue berry tree and went to the pond to drink. After drinking she folded her legs under her body and sat for a while admiring the serenity that surrounded her. She looked up into the morning sky and saw the sun was on the move and decided that she must leave now in order to get back to her flock before dark. She cast her gaze around the area one more time before standing to leave this place that she knew she would visit again. She realized that once something has been accomplished, the process could be repeated as often as one wishes, without fear, and with much less effort.

Amelia began her trek back. As she walked she reflected on the trip, what she had seen, and became more determined than ever to look at the horizon instead of the ground. There was so much to see and so much to do that she wondered if she could be happy just being a chicken. But wait, she didn't have to be "Just" a chicken, she could be "The" Chicken, an individual, different, herself, unique, a special chicken. Amelia realized that it would be easy for any chicken to accomplish just about anything.

As she walked she noticed how sore her feet were getting. She had walked a long way; probably farther than she normally walked in a week. She looked ahead to see where she was going, remembered the past, and used it to build on the future so she could complete the rest of her plan. Morning turned to noon, then late afternoon, then dusk. When dusk overtook the day and the sun was beginning to set, she saw the lady's house and the lane. She saw the congregation place, her flock, and she was home. She was exhausted and longed for her rousting place. Her sisters and cousins saw her, gave her faint acknowledgement, and went back to what they were doing.

Amelia found her spot, tucked her head under her wing and fell sound asleep. She slept better than she ever remembered sleeping before. It was restful and filled with the visions and smells that she had encountered, beautiful sights the others had not seen and could never imagine. She now had memories of things new and exciting that would be with her for the rest of her life.

The predawn light erupted into hues of pinks and reds as the roosters crowed and the birds sang. For the first time ever Amelia appreciated the dawn for what it was, not just for what it meant. It was not just time to get up and face another chicken day, but the awaking of sounds, smells, and the colors of life that that are blended into a mixture of sensations. She now had the ability to appreciate the morning in a new way that made stretching from sleep more enjoyable and brought excitement into the anticipation of each new experience.

Amelia immediately got up and walked to the lady's house. She went to the box in the back and sat on the nest of straw. She waited for the sensation that was the laying of the egg. After a short pause the sensation began. She clucked and the egg was there. Amelia closed both eyes and stood up, left the box, and turned to see what she had done. She opened one eye, then the other. Her heart sank; the egg was as white as every egg she had ever made before. She was heartbroken. She had taken a journey that had not provided the desired, or expected results. She had wasted her time. She would not be able to give the gift that she had planed.

She went to the front of the house and waited for the lady to distribute the grain and saw her sisters and cousins coming for the morning meal. The lady, as usual, distributed the seed to the rest of the flock then sat on the stoop offering Amelia a handful of seed. Amelia moved close to the lady and began to eat.

"I was worried about you old girl." The lady said, "I thought a cat might have gotten you. I am so glad you are still here." The lady went on.

This made Amelia very happy and sad at the same time. Someone had missed her and cared about her, which made life worth living. But she was not able to give the gift that she so wanted to give, and that made her very sad. She continued eating and placed her head against the hand of the lady, received her scratch and pat. The lady went back into the house and Amelia went to the top fence rail to contemplate her failure.

But what was failure? She made her journey and was successful at that. She was alive and had seen incredible sights that she had never seen before. She would never have seen the wonders if she had not dared venture forth into the world. She did something she had never done before and faced greater fears than she ever thought she could. This was something none of her peers would ever attempt. Hmm, was this failure? No, she thought, she just did not get all of the expected results. With that she was content and spent the rest of the day with the flock pecking and scratching for additional seeds. As night approached she went to her roost, tucked her head under wing, and dreamed of new adventures and future satisfactions that she would get from exceeding her own expectations.

Again the predawn light signaled the start of another day and the roosters crowed. She stretched as she usually did and walked to the back of the lady's house. She sat in the box on the straw and maintained her position for several minutes when the feeling came again. The egg was laid and she climbed from the box.

As she climbed from the box her heart stopped, it skipped. She was in awe. There, nestled in the straw, was an exquisite blue egg. The egg was the color of the deep ocean that exists beyond the breakers that surround the island of Bermuda. It was beautiful and flawless. The color was consistent and perfectly even over the whole egg, or at least as much of the egg as Amelia could see.

Amelia immediately sat back down on the nest and covered the egg with her body so that no one else would see it. This was a gift, a special gift, and one for the kind old lady alone. This was a gift of appreciation for all the kind things that she had done for Amelia, her sisters, cousins, and those roosters.

Amelia decided to sit on the nest until the lady came to collect the eggs. She would reveal the egg then, to the lady, and only to the lady. This would be their secret. The flock need know nothing about what she had done because she did it out of love, not for recognition.

Amelia sat on the egg for what seemed to be an eternity. She thought the lady would never come and collect her eggs. Finally, the lady opened the door and emerged from the house with the basket used to carry the newly laid eggs. Amelia waited for the lady to come close. When she approached Amelia stood up and spread her wings wide as wide could be and flapped them several times. She stood next to the blue egg and looked up at the lady and stared into her eyes as she had done so many times before.

The lady stopped and stared at the egg. Her mouth fell open. She stood there in utter and complete disbelief. She looked at Amelia then back at the egg, then at Amelia again. The lady had no idea how an egg like this could ever come to be. "Did you do this?" the lady asked. Amelia put her head down and placed her beak to the side of the egg and pushed it towards the lady's hand.

"From you to me?" the lady asked. Amelia looked up and gazed into the lady's eyes again. The lady smiled and gently touched the egg. Amelia put her head against the lady's hand and held her head there for the longest time. The lady cried. "What a wonderful gift!" the lady thought. "Thank you" she said out loud. Amelia looked at the lady wishing she could smile. The lady looked at Amelia, "My, you are smiling" the lady said, "I can see it in your eyes."

The little old lady realized what the chicken had given her. It was a gift from her soul. The old lady took the egg into the house and poked very small holes in each end of the egg and blew out the insides for she wanted to save this egg forever. She went to her hutch and found a golden holder and placed the egg on it. Then she found a glass box and placed the egg and its holder into the box and sealed the lid shut. She placed it in her hutch where it would always be seen because it was the most precious gift she had ever received.

Amelia learned many things that week. She learned that it takes patience to fulfill our dreams and results sometimes take longer than we expect. She knew that a gift from the heart, one that we make ourselves, is a piece of us and the greatest gift of all. She learned that if you believe you can achieve; wishes and hopes really can come true.

From that day forward Amelia and the kind little old lady sat on the stoop in the evenings. Amelia would sit beside her and place her head in the little old lady's lap and the lady would scratch the back of Amelia’s head and neck and, on occasion, tickle her under her wings.

Amelia had many more adventures and tried many more things. No one ever told her again what she should or should not do because she was "Just" a chicken. She was, of course, a chicken, but a chicken that had learned that anything can be accomplished if you just believe you can do it. It was easy. And by her example other chickens did things that they never thought they could do before. Even those roosters learned from her example.