One day, as the world was spinning and the morning was just beginning, two birds hatched in one great tree and saw the world quite differently. One looked up, and the other looked down.

Two birds came, and now are gone, and the world spins on and on. Their stories, though different, taught us about the beauty of perspectives and how our view shapes our world.

One bird smiled, and the other frowned. One bird said thank you, and one cried. Seasons changed, and the two birds grew. They wanted to fly, as most birds do.

Soon, both birds with wings began to flutter and flirt, eager to see the world. They tumbled from their nest. Even when one bird yelled, cried, and swore, the other said, “Let’s try some more.”

After many, many tries, the birds finally learned to fly, soaring over the land and sea. They still saw things quite differently—one looked down and saw the crowds, while the other looked up and noticed the clouds.

One bird saw trash and cars, the other saw moonbeams freckled with stars. One bird saw the rain and cried, the other laughed, “What a day for a bath!”

When they needed a rest, the two birds made two little nests: one happy home, one unhappy. Tempests raged outside, so the two birds found a place to hide.

They huddled safe and warm while the wild wind raged on and on until their tininess was gone. One bird stomped and shook her wings. “We lost our nest, we lost everything.”

She cursed the wind that caused this strife. “This is the worst day of my life.” The other bird replied, “We are homeless, but I am safe and so are you.” She raised her voice to say, “I’ve never known a better day.”

Many, many years went by, and the two birds grew too old to fly. One collapsed before the sun and said, “My life is done, too tired to walk, too blind to see, a lifetime choked with misery.”

She lay upon the rock and with her final breath, she asked, “Why?” The other bird was dying too, as every bird must do. Grateful for the chance to live, to see the world, to love, she settled on the ground.

She beheld the world around the trees, the stars, and the riverbanks. With her final word, she said, “Thank you.”