My husband called me today at school. You have to understand that he NEVER calls me at school. We just don't bother each other at work unless it is REALLY important! He told me that I was not going to believe his news....he had found Sam. Oh. My. Gosh! Sam. You don't know what that means to me!

Sam was (is?) our pet cockatiel who flew out the door LAST SUMMER. We ran into the back yard and watched him swoop from north to south, back and forth...until he was totally out of sight. I called my daughter, Jenni, that night and told her I had good news and bad news (don't you hate it when people do that to you?). She asked for the bad news first..."Jenni, Sam flew away today." (This really was bad news because Sam was HER bird before he adopted ME.) "But," I told Jenni, "the good news is that he was really happy up there in the sky!"

Of all of our pets, Sam had been one that had adopted me...totally. He would fly around the house, and even from time to time ride my shoulder out into the back yard...and never ONCE had he attempted to fly away. Sam loved me. He would sit on my shoulder and lean against my cheek (his way of hugging), then give me a pecking kiss.

Best yet, he would sit on top of his cage, admiring himself in the mirror telling himself over and over, "Sam's a pretty bird!" or "What 'cha doin' cutie?"

So you can understand how heartbroken I was when he flew away. We put his cage into the back yard and hoped he would find his way home. It didn't happen. Winter came. I lost all hope of him surviving. And yet, here was my husband calling to tell me Sam was alive???!!!

My husband is friends with the owner of a Wild Bird Center store. When he went in for seed today to fill our bird feeders, there was Sam. Sitting on a custom-made perch. Someone had apparently found him, and the store had adopted him. The owner graciously offered to let us have Sam back...but I am content that Sam is alive and around if I need any more pecky kisses.

Isn't it wonderful? Sam's new name is Skipper...and I'm going to visit with him sometime this weekend.