PIGEON LOVE

I feel like a Peeping Tom, watching them all the time. They seem so devoted, so true. They cuddle, they nuzzle, or simply hang out side by side. There they are, almost every day, perched on that same old limb together. And the minute one swoops down to forage in the grass, the other is right behind. Peck, peck. Life is good.

George and Louise are the consummate couple. It seems they’re quite content in their own little world doing everyday things that pigeons do. Sometimes they’ll fly off together, although occasionally one will take off alone to destinations unknown (we think Louise might have had nests of babies somewhere). Hours or even days can pass, and weirdly enough, I’ll find myself missing them. But always and without fail, they return. Back to their eucalyptus tree by the river. Back to simply  “be” together. 

It may seem unkind to be compared to pigeons, but I see a lot of George and Louise in the couples we know. Whether they’ve been married close to half a century or are late-life newlyweds, all have one definite thing in common: they actually ENJOY being together. They like hanging out with each other, and aren’t happy being apart. They’re companions. They’re friends. They’re a team.

Two things strike me here. 

First of all, not everyone gets that in life. The one who makes your days fuller whether you’re doing something big or just hanging out. If George and Louise were human, I’ll bet they’d be sharing kind words, belly laughs and everything - just like people do.


Then, I think: 

Do we only realize how important friendship is to a relationship when we’re older (and supposedly wiser?) Is that why all the couples around us seem so much happier together than they did when I was young?

Seems to me that in youth, it’s easy to take that kind of ho-hum stuff for granted. We might expect bells and whistles all the time, or something better around the corner, or anything other than what we’ve got (although yes, some of us didn’t quite the George and Louise thing first time around and definitely did have to move on). And of course, life can get pretty busy when raising a family, so maybe it’s too tough to put the friendship in your relationship first.

I’d like to ask those “married-forevers”. Did they not only find the “right one”, but also have the insight to focus on being friends and a team throughout their years? Was that their secret? Lucky them!

Something tells me that George and Louise are absolutely a team. I’ll bet they wouldn’t take each other for granted at all.  I envision them mourning terribly if ever separated. In fact, I looked it up, and pigeons definitely do mate for life. Not surprisingly, when one dies, they do in fact mourn and may only eventually seek another mate in time.

The point of all this rambling is that I think there’s a lesson here. If you’re lucky enough to have found your true mate ~ no matter how old you are ~ show appreciation for that blessing. And enjoy being a team together, just like good ol’ George and Louise.