in the time of lockdown, when the world gave the cold-shoulder to its bustling ways, it was the birds that taught us to assess our journey from a different perch. earlier, we raced through life without pause, but observing the birds, we learned the grace of starting over from the beginning, embracing the sky's vast canvas as they do each morning with untold zest. their flights, unfettered by the chains of our ground-bound existences, remind us that freedom is not lost but awaits our willingness to spread our wings anew.