Robin courtesy of ClassroomClipart.com

Pete Moss’ family collected vegetable and fruit scraps in a small plastic bucket on top of their kitchen counter. They had been doing this ever since they heard about the importance of composting from the Steve Harvey Show. Sometimes our greatest teachers and lessons come from the most unlikely of places.

Yes, his family knew about composting for years, but it wasn’t until Steve Harvey said it was cool that his family took it to heart. Thank you, Steve.

His family figured that fruit and vegetable scraps were safe to compost right in the dirt around their backyard. A lot of animals like fruit, but once it is covered in dirt, it becomes much less appealing. Also, even most animals refuse to eat their vegetables.

The snow had just melted this morning. Pete volunteered to bury the compost in the backyard. He went to the shed, which resembled a small house, complete with faux window shutters and a cupola. He grabbed a garden shovel and walked to where the parsley was growing in the dirt under the water tap.

He put the shovel in the dirt, stepped on it hard with his boot, and turned the soil over. The dirt was getting softer. He disrupted several worms. About five or six of them tried to scurry away.

He had attracted a lot of robins’ attention this past spring and summer when he was composting and they were looking for worms for their babies. He started thinking now about how much the robins may enjoy being here to catch some of these worms. (It would not be very fortunate for the worms though.)

Just then as he covered the compost completely with dirt, he noticed some chirping in the air. He turned around and found three robins waiting patiently in line, hanging on to a wood plank that was used to box in the row of miniature trees before the fence. They may have been watching him for a while now or read his mind. Maybe they even inspired him to compost in the first place.

The robins were about 5 feet behind him. This made him feel special. They must have liked him and trusted him more than most. “Hello there. So nice to see you again,” he said. “You’ll find lots of worms here, but I’m sure you know that already. I’ll be leaving now, so you can eat in peace.” He smiled at them and walked away. He was so happy to see them again.

The robins bobbed around a bit as if understanding and happy to reunite with their old worm hunting friend. God bless the worms straight to Heaven, Pete thought. May they get the highest seat in Heaven. He felt pretty bad for the worms, but he was happy for the robins. Such was the nature of life. Who was he to argue with it? There is a very spiritual belief that says, there is no death only change. It acknowledges the natural cycle of life and hints to a spiritual world after this physical one.