Ruby’s Gift

Nobody knew where she came from or how she arrived that day but the events that followed and the legacy she created will be remembered forever.

Charity Daniels wasn’t quite seven when she looked up into the tangerine tree in her grandparents backyard and exclaimed, “Look! There’s a great big, colorful bird up there.”

Grampsy looked up from gardening then stood to his feet, gazing into the deep green leaves dotted with bright orange fruit. “Well, I’ll be! Where did you come from, pretty birdie? Look at you, eating my tangerines!”

“Please don’t shoo her away! She’s beautiful and I don’t think she’ll eat too many,” giggled Charity.

He looked at his only grandchild with a gentle smile of compassion. He didn’t have the heart to refuse her anything, especially now.

Besides, what harm could it do.

“We need to find out who lost their pet though,” he explained. “Those Macaws don’t live around here naturally. We’re still too far north for that.”

Denise and Steve had decided to move their family to her parents’ warm Florida home not long after they had retired and transferred their work schedules to remote so they could be together as much as possible. The family decided together, it was best for everyone, as Charity had been diagnosed with a rare, terminal blood disorder. All that mattered to them now was family and time.

…And HOPE.

They checked social media, pet stores and veterinarians to find out if somebody had lost their Scarlet Macaw. Nobody responded. Charity had a new friend and a great distraction from all the tests, treatments and poking needles!

She tried to teach Ruby, as she had named her, how to say, Hello - Charity, but it came out sounding more like Harley Charisma which made her laugh as hard as her weak body would allow. Every bit of laughter and joy was such a blessing and music to their ears. Grampsey even installed a perch on the deck. Ruby enjoyed being close to Charity for their, “conversations,” but as soon as anyone else approached, she’d take off to the top of the tangerine tree! Scarlet Macaws became Charity’s new homeschool lesson. She immensely enjoyed learning about Ruby’s rainforest home and giving her different seeds and foods they’d read about. The next few weeks were refreshing them all.

One morning Charity explained over breakfast that throughout the night Ruby had flown her all the way to the top of the Eiffel tower. “You should see the view from up there!” She exclaimed. Everybody chuckled and chalked it up to her great imagination and the fact that they had learned about France the previous weeks. The following morning she claimed that Ruby flew her to Australia where she hopped around with kangaroos and cuddled with koalas. These midnight journeys continued and Charity asked to study these places as well. They would look at each other quizzically then dismiss it, having no logical explanation. Seeing Charity’s eyes light up as she’d describe her fantasies with wonder gave them glimpses of hope. All these mysterious adventures and spending time talking with Ruby outside seemed to be giving her some strength and joy.

There was one final treatment option the doctors decided to try for Charity’s condition. If she responded well to the first round, there may be hope. As Charity sat, connected to the IV pole in a room with a few other children receiving various treatments she suddenly exclaimed, “Ruby!!” A whirlwind of excitement and gleeful, little voices stirred through the children’s ward as they noticed the brightly colored feathers flying by and Ruby, landing in the tree outside the window of the outpatient clinic. Each child hoped to see Ruby the next time they came. However, Charity didn’t respond well to the new drug. She was rushed to the hospital and lay there for three days in order to get stabilized before returning home.

Ruby wouldn’t leave the tree outside her window the whole time.

Not long afterwards, Charity awoke one morning and described in great detail that Ruby had flown her to the top of tall trees filled with birds just like Ruby that served her a bitter tea which made her feel better. “Can we buy this tea so I don’t have to go to the doctor anymore?! Ruby has so many cousins I couldn’t even count them all!“

They looked at each other in amazement. This had to be something way more than childish imagination, especially after seeing how devoted Ruby had been to Charity.

They feverishly began doing research into the Amazon rainforest’s host of herbs, medicinal plants and alternative treatments. They located a small clinic, a grassroots operation in Belize, that claimed to have a potent remedy for all types of toxic diseases.

What did they have to lose?!

They contacted the clinic and had a few virtual appointments since traveling was out of the question for Charity by this point and of course, such alternative treatments weren’t covered by their insurance. The clinic invited them to participate in a clinical trial to which they eagerly agreed. They were desperate as they watched her tiny body growing weaker.

Charity was convinced Ruby’s tea was going to make her well. But to the rest of them every day felt like they were holding their breath. Her own doctors had said, there was nothing else they could do but wait and see.

Charity woke up one morning telling them, Ruby had brought her up to her roosting spot in their very own tangerine tree to give her a gift.

She felt such urgency to go see even before breakfast and no logic could convince her otherwise! Denise wheeled her fragile daughter outside as everyone else followed.

Ruby was nowhere to be seen!

“She wouldn’t just leave me!“ Her sobs broke their hearts. Was she captured by poachers?? Did she suddenly decide to go “home”?? It made even less sense than all the far-fetched adventures Charity had supposedly experienced with her brightly feathered friend! No amount of explaining or consoling would help and she insisted they climb the tree to look for Ruby and her gift. Steve grabbed the ladder and climbed up the tree to find a nest with two eggs. They waited until nightfall but Ruby did not return. The sad truth was evident and they knew they must care for Ruby’s eggs and hatchlings. They explained as gently as possible that there are some very selfish people in the world who would want Ruby’s beautiful feathers more than Ruby herself. For a moment Charity seemed to gaze off into the distance then she declared, “I’ve got to help Ruby’s babies. I can’t let her down. She never let me down!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was it the tropical herbs?

Was it sheer determination?

Was it love and expectancy for her new, precious responsibility?

Or was it simply an unexplainable miracle?

Over the next two weeks Charity’s health took a drastic turn and continued improving as she eagerly watched and waited for Ruby’s eggs to hatch. Their excitement and expectations grew along with their family. By the time Harley and Charisma had flight feathers Charity was running around the yard along with them as they learned how to fly.

~~~~~~~~~

They were three years old by the time I was born. My big sister, Charity, and I have been bringing Harley and Charisma to many hospital wards and clinics, bringing joy, hope and excitement to the suffering as they watch the birds’ antics and listening to their squawking dialect! Then we share about the herbal, healing tincture that could possibly save their lives: Ruby’s Gift!

We still live in our grandparents’ home and now we have 7 tangerine trees where many types of pretty birds build nests and lay their eggs like Ruby did long ago. As part of my doctorate training I’m going to Belize and other Amazon regions to continue studying the Scarlet Macaws and how we can better serve them as well as humanity, using the amazing herbs and plants the rainforest provides.

I am continually in awe by what an amazingly glorious planet we have been given to care for and I am eternally grateful to Ruby, the beautiful Scarlet Macaw, who mysteriously appeared in the tangerine tree to save my sister’s life.