Lessons from a Crow Vigil : Life Lessons part 4

The Vigil

As usual, my husband dropped me at the Bus stop this morning so that I can catch the ride to my workplace. It was 7:15 am and there were a few people on the road at that time, the shops haven't opened yet. But the first thing I noticed on reaching that place was the cries of crows. Yes, crows.

Numerous crows were seated on the electric lines above and were cawing incessantly. New crows were joining them from various directions. In between the non stop cawing, some of them will fly up in flock, only to readjust themselves in the electric line in an organized manner. I could guess the reason almost immediately. May be some crow died. Sure enough, I spotted a dead crow by the road side, lying on its back, its eyes closed in eternal sleep, and its limbs scrunched together in rigor. 

I was so taken aback by this sight. I forgot to get a snap of this incident. Multiple thoughts were flowing through my mind, as I observed the scene silently. I was constantly on the look out of my ride, and soon it came within a few minutes. 

Image generated by Google AI

The wailing of crows continued. If it was in my home, I would have buried the dead crow. Will they accept that?

Funerals are occasions when you can see the physical body of a person for the last time. It would be an emotional one for most of the people coming there. I had often heard people saying,

 "Even if you miss a wedding ceremony, never miss a funeral. You are not supposed to go for uninvited marriage functions, but you should go for the funeral of an acquaintance, even if no one has invited you separately."

Funerals hold such an important position, in our society. It is the last chance to say goodbyes, last chance to forgive someone. 

I have never seen similar behaviour like a funeral in any other animals, other than crows. Crows survive in groups- in other words they are social birds. They share food sources, protect someone of their group if attacked, and even hold crow funerals for a dead fellow bird. 

The immediate response to the first alerting cry of a scout who first spots the dead body, is amazing. More and more crows gather and observe the dead one. May be they are remembering their friend... reminiscing the past beautiful moments shared with them. 

(Even though in reality they are assessing the threats or reasons for death so that they can use it for their future survival, may be some sort of remembrance is involved also.)

Whatever the reason may be, the sight of a murder of crows, wailing for their fallen comrade evoked some thoughts in me. 

Life Lessons:

1.  Appreciate the people around you. Death is an unwelcome visitor, but he comes for everyone. You won't even get time for a proper goodbye or tell them how much they meant to you. Don't keep it for tomorrow, do it today
2. Whenever possible attend funerals, because that is the time when you can give them a proper farewell and show your support for the bereaved family.
3. Enjoy the little things in life. Try to execute your bucket list plans as early as possible. Because you never know when your turn comes. 
4. Learn from nature. Nature offers you valuable lesson everyday. It may be some reminders or some thought provoking incidents. Open your eyes and ears to nature. Observe Her, Listen to Her and Learn from Her. 
5. Accept that death is a part of life. Even though difficult to follow, this is the ultimate reality. So enjoy your time on Earth, rather than wallowing in sadness. 
6. Keep your loved ones who you lost to death in your memories, forever and never forget them. 

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