Aunt Mary’s wisdom

I remember one Sunday afternoon we took my grandmother to visit Aunt Mary. I didn’t know whose aunt she was, but we were told that she was elderly and didn’t have children. Our instructions were to sit still and be quiet.

Aunt Mary’s house was as drab on the inside as it was on the outside. We sat still and quiet as long as we could. When the squirming began, Aunt Mary asked us just one question.

“Have you ever caught a bird?”

“No,” we all chimed in unison.

Into the kitchen she went, and when she returned she handed each of us a salt shaker. If you can sprinkle salt on a bird’s tail, you can catch it, she explained.

As we ran out into the yard, the afternoon that was once filled with dread became magical. The time flew by and so did many birds. We did not catch a bird, but when the adults were ready to leave we begged to stay.

I didn’t realize until I was older that if I was close enough to put salt on a bird’s tail, I could have caught it without the salt. What a great childhood memory.

Susan Britt, Troy, Randolph EMC

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