The first, visual memory I have is at age 3--in the doctor's office--
and what he was doing to me. My mother took me to him and watched.
She did this for 7 years. Sometimes, after he was done with me--
he would go over to where she was sitting in the room and touch her.

When I went to school--I had to switch buses at the end of the day.
This stop was between the Junior High and High School. We had 15
minutes to switch buses. The city library was directly across the street.
Many kids who had to switch buses--would quickly run to the library during
this break and check out a book quickly--to have something to read
for the trip home. I did this often, also.

When I was 10 years old and went running across the street to the library
I grabbed the first book that my fingers found in the children's section.
It was a book that had been mis-filed...and should've been in the adult
section...It wasn't a coincidence. It was THE THORNBIRDS by
Collen McCullough. Have you read it?

I found G-d hiding out in that novel. I read it 3 times.
And, I learned what true love was.
THAT book saved my life.

I confronted my mother.
I told her if she ever took me back to the doctor's office
that I would scream so loud that everyone who worked in it
would be in my examination room.

Shortly thereafter, my mother told me that the doctor moved away.

I am sure that I have read that book more than any other in this world.
It saved me: It gave me the knowledge and the courage to confront my
mother...The abuse stopped.

Whenever I am lonely and blue--I read and re-read my Bird book.
It was the bible I never had, and the G-d that I never knew as a child.
I am sure it is a very odd way to find one's spirituality and faith--
but it was my first introduction to it.

Before my fiancee passed away, his most favorite movie was
THE CROW with Brandon Lee. He died making that movie--
a couple of months prior to his wedding. My fiancee also passed away
a few months prior to our wedding. Upon returning to his house in California
after his military burial at Fort Logan Cemetery in Denver--there was a
dead crow on his doorstep.

I do believe, that sometimes something so horrible happens to human life--
that a crow carries their soul to the dead. And sometimes, just sometimes--
the Crow comes back to set the wrong things right.

If it weren't for the Legends of the birds, I would've said farewell
to this existence years ago. But, I do believe that is why I am here:
to somehow, set the wrong things...right.