I found this beautiful vulture drying out his wings in the early morning sun after a long night of rain. When the puppies ran outside to eat their breakfast, they saw him and barked up a storm, but only after they’d gobbled down every last kibble. The vulture was able to gauge the level of danger that they presented, and continued to dry out, undaunted. When I approached to take a picture, he shifted his weight a few times, but held his yoga pose strong, more determined than ever. I gathered the puppies inside to let him finish his ablutions with some dignity.
We have the good fortune to be able to watch these magnificent birds use thermal air currents to glide effortlessly over the valley in search of their next meal. Often reviled for their eating habits, they play an important role in the ecosystem of the rainforest by clearing away carcasses harboring many dreaded diseases. Love and bless them.
For some strange reason, the sight of this bird drying in the sun helped me to calm down after a scare we had when our alarm was set off at 5:30 am. After a mad scramble to inspect the video monitors for intruders, we determined that there was not a threat on our property. But when we tried to disarm the alarm, it would not shut off, no matter what we did. We had to wake up our alarm tech to trouble-shoot the problem. Long story short, a brief power outage was the source of the malfunction.
Knowing why was really helpful. But in the aftermath of our alarm blaring for over five minutes, only neighbors outside of our community reached out to make sure we were okay. It brought up all the horrors of the night of the home invasion, including when no one reached out or even cared enough to make a phone call for help on that frightful night of horror. Much like when a fire threatened our home a year ago and no one called us or the fire department.
When my anger and resentment kicked in this morning, I thought about that beautiful vulture, holding strong no matter the provocation. It’s been two and a half months since that awful night, and I do not want to go back to that emotional abyss. I am determined to stay the course of recovery and not react to the behaviors, or lack thereof, of others.
The great news is that I have started a new novel, and my excitement is palpable. It is a therapeutic release for me, especially as I craft a whole new cast of characters…and villains. K is healing a little bit more every day, although it is slow, but we accept that our recovery is a process, and we continue to trust in the universe to get us through this phase and onto the next. Love and bless all those who have offered their love and support, not just the day after, or the weeks and months after, but the lifetime after. 
Jun. 9, 2019
Judy Richter 