Sophie the Pigeon and the Art of Being Present

A few weeks ago, I was outside cheering on my daughter Lucia as she learned to ride her bike. In the midst of this family milestone moment, I noticed something extraordinary: a beautiful white bird watching us, completely unafraid.

An Unexpected Visitor

The bird, which we soon discovered was a white homing pigeon, didn’t fly away when I approached. My instincts told me this wasn’t a wild bird; it was clearly domesticated. We left out water and food, hoping we were helping.

The next morning, I saw the bird was still there. When I told my brother Nick he immediately said, “Call Kris Carr – she’s rescued pigeons before!”

What happened next was a beautiful example of community in action. Kris, who lives just 20 minutes away, is a New York Times bestselling powerhouse who has helped thousands improve their lives from the inside out – and who is a great friend to our family and The Tapping Solution. As it turns out, she’s also an avid animal lover who knew exactly what to do. dropped everything and arrived with a dog crate, supplies, and the knowledge we desperately needed to care for it. 

She explained that this was likely a white homing pigeon, the kind of birds used in dove releases. We couldn’t figure out where she came from, but we learned that these kinds of birds can’t survive on their own. It was a miracle our visitor had survived even one night.

Sophie Joins Our Family

Together, we gently caught the pigeon, put it in a crate, and brought it inside.

Lucia immediately named her Sophie, and our family embarked on an unexpected journey of caring for a new being. 

We took her to the vet, and learned that Sophie was very young and didn’t yet know how to fly properly. Our days became filled with feeding schedules and the sweetest moments – like Lucia sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading picture books aloud to Sophie. Nick’s kids (see in the photo below) even joined us for some cousin bonding time with Sophie.

The Power of Being Present

As we cared for Sophie, I kept thinking about our “I am present with those I love” card from the Daily Guidance Card Deck. The synchronicity was undeniable; Sophie looked exactly like the family of white birds depicted on that very card.

But beyond the visual connection, Sophie reminded me of what that card truly means. Being present meant:

• Dropping our regular routines to care for a creature in need
• Coming together as a family around a shared purpose
• Watching my children develop empathy and responsibility
• Experiencing the divine in an ordinary moment in our backyard

Community Makes All Things Possible

After having Sophie for a while, we learned that pigeons mate for life and are deeply family-oriented. Sophie needed to be with her own kind.

Through a wonderful Facebook community dedicated to pigeon rescue, we found a loving woman who drove two hours to give Sophie a forever home with another pigeon named Avery in northern Connecticut.

When she sent us a photo of Sophie snuggled up with her new companion, it gave me chills.  She was where she was meant to be.

Lessons from Sophie

Sophie’s brief time with us reminded me that:

• Help often comes from unexpected places (thank you, Kris, my kids, the Facebook community, and everyone involved!)
• Community is essential; we couldn’t have saved Sophie alone
• Being present with those we love sometimes means expanding our definition of family
• Small acts of care can become profound family memories
• There are miracles in our everyday moments if we’re present enough to see them

Today, Sophie is living her best life with her new pigeon family. And our family? 

We’re left with a beautiful chapter in our story; one that began with a simple moment of presence in our backyard and turned into an experience of love, community, and divine synchronicity.

Sometimes the universe sends us exactly what we need to remind us of what matters most: being truly present with those we love.

Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Jessica Ortner

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