More Birds!!

So, I'm watching some show on the History Channel, and they start talking about the signs of the zodiac. Did you know that Charlie and I are both Scorpios? In fact, so is my brother, my sister-in-law, my first cousin, and my second cousin.

Torie's birthday is the third of November, Karen's is the fourth, I am the fifth, Jason is the sixth, and Jack is the seventh. (At least I think that Torie is the third. If I'm wrong, don't tell me. Just let me believe it anyway.) So, imagine our amusement when we are told that Charlie's birthday is November 9! And, if you think about it, there is a good chance that it was actually November 8 in America when he was born. (It's about a 50/50 chance.) So, he fits right in with the rest of us.

What really makes this interesting is that I was born prematurely and so was Charlie. I was six weeks early, and Charlie was eight weeks early. Maybe we knew what we were doing when we entered into the world! Maybe we knew that these two puzzle pieces would fit so nicely into the scheme of things.

Guess what else I learned from this show on the History Channel? The scorpion is the current symbol for the 8th sign of the zodiac, but this sign (unlike any other) has been associated with more than one symbol in its history. The 8th sign of the zodiac is not just a scorpion, but also ... get ready ... an EAGLE!!!!

I nearly choked on my Diet Pepsi when I heard that one. For the rest of the night, I just walked around with a big smile on my face announcing over and over, "I'm and eagle and so is Charlie!!" I never did feel like a scorpion. I like being an eagle much better.

This site says that "the eagle represents a state of grace achieved through hard work, understanding, and a completion of the tests of initiation. For Scorpio, it is only through the trial of experiencing the extreme lows in life, as well as the extreme highs, and through the trial of trusting one's connection to the Great Spirit, that the right to use the essence of Eagle medicine is earned." It also says that "the eagle is able to soar high above the earth and, thereby, sees the broader tapestry of life."

Maybe I'm just post-adoptive hormonal or something, but this description seems so fitting! I see myself a few weeks ago, flying over the Tien Shen Mountains in a tiny Kazakh airplane with Stan sitting next to me and Jenny and Ken and Lori and David are in their seats nearby. The plane is so loud that no one talks. We are all realizing that we have left Semey and are on our way back to America, away from our children. From this vantage, the sun is bright and the mountains are so beautiful. And every American on this plane has a broken heart that swells with the miracle of having traveled six thousand miles to a city where everyone wears black and giant coal-burning smokestacks line the horizon and a foxy red-headed lady named Olga brings babies to the arms of their new parents. We have seen the broader tapestry of life, and it is divine!!