Story of the Hummingbird

 Wings of Hope

When Jason entered our garage he found a beautiful hummingbird frantically and determinedly beating against the clear glass windowpane in a vain effort to escape to freedom. Instinctively, drawing on his close relationship with nature, Jason put out his finger as a perch for the hummingbird. To his surprise, the hummingbird responded by resting on Jason's finger and remained there until Jason carried it out to freedom.

In the ensuing years, Jason developed melanoma and fought a courageous battle against the disease with surgery and difficult bio-chemo therapy. It appeared that his battle was successful and he and Carly were married with all the dreams and hopes for the future that young people have. But his battle was not over and the melanoma recurred and Jason lost his battle. A few weeks later, as I sat on the patio stricken with grief from my son's death, a hummingbird flew in front of me and hovered in front of my face for a few seconds.

A few days later, while visiting at a friend's house, a hummingbird again hovered in front of my face. Sometime later, Jason's wife Carly was visiting his gravesite, the first time she had been able to do so. She knelt and wept in her grief and asked Jason to give her a sign that he was OK. Just at that moment, a hummingbird flew up to her and flew in front of her. I cried as Carly related this incident to me and I recalled Jason freeing the hummingbird in our garage.

My crying brought my husband, Ilan, to my side. He had come in from the patio where he had prayed to the heavens for a sign to help me in my struggle with Jason's death. At that very moment, a hummingbird came on the scene and fluttered before us and a shooting star came across the sky.

I know now that somewhere Jason, whose wonderful smile always made a room light up, is alive, happy, and well. He is greatly missed but I feel him all around me and I find solace in these events. I pray that my story will help all those who have lost loved ones and those who are afflicted with melanoma to find solace. I shall always look upon hummingbirds with love and affection and think of them as the "Wings of Hope".

Eileen Shanon