A Christmas Miracle
Crows,  Holiday fun,  The life of a writer

A Christmas Miracle

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Christmas tree in the snowI am so filled with the holiday spirit, my insides are dancing and singing nonstop. There’s magic in air, palpable magic. Can you feel it? Animals do. Perhaps I should say “crows” rather than all animals.

Two weeks ago, Poe and Edgar surprised me with such a special gift, it brought me to tears. A Christmas miracle.

On Sunday, December 6, the day started like any other. After feeding my two fur babies—The Notorious P.I. G. (aka Miss Piggy) and Dee-Pac (aka Miss Dee)—I sloughed into an oversized yard coat lined with thick fleece and scooped sunflower seeds, kibble, and leftovers into containers. I loaded up my old weaved basket, similar to the one carried by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, and trekked out the door.

An army of animals awaited my arrival.

If I’m ever late, they’re not shy about letting me know. One morning I heard this strange knocking coming from the sunroom. When I strode through the doorway, this is what I saw…

That’s Navi, knocking on the glass door. She’s the spokesquirrel for the group. Whenever I’m delayed, they send her to check on me.

“Excuse me, Sue? We’re starting to see dead relatives out here. You gonna be much longer?”

No one needed to find me on that frigid Sunday morn two weeks ago.

Right on schedule, Poe and Edgar soared into the yard as soon as I called. It’s part of our usual routine. If I don’t spot black feathers in the trees, I shout, “Poe!” And in they fly.

I’ve known for years that Poe recognizes my voice, but researchers are now studying this behavior.

Only Poe and Edgar showed that morning, which isn’t necessarily a reason for concern. Sometimes they send the kids to forage down the street while Mom and Dad sneak to my yard for a little alone time, stealing kisses in the treetops.

So, I dumped the sunflower seeds for the squirrels and the last few chippies who dared brave the cold, along with my new buddy Chuck (woodchuck). Next, I scattered shelled peanuts in the yard and, as per usual, added a separate peanut pile for Poe on her designated flat-topped rock, where I also left the second half of a meaty turkey carcass.

After my quick morning chat with Poe—“Be safe, beautiful. Stay warm. Live your best life today. Love you!”—I bustled inside to let everyone feast.

Hours flew by.

A Christmas Miracle
This is only a fraction of them.

A chorus of caws erupted in the yard, and I raced to the window—stopped mid-stride, my jaw falling open. I stood in awe as thirty or so crows swooped, backflipped, and sang. A bonafide love-fest.

Not wanting to intrude, I ducked, but Poe flew to the branch nearest the window and dipped her head to find me.

She held my gaze, glanced back at the others, then refocused on me, as if to say, “Look! This is the family you helped me build.”

Dumbfounded, I didn’t understand.

When I scanned the yard, the white paint-splash birthmark on Shakespeare’s tail-feathers gleamed in the sunlight. But Shaky left the area two or three years ago to start her own family.

Can’t be her. Why would she—?

Hemingway’s shaded white shoulder drew my attention. I hadn’t seen Hemy in almost four years. What’s happening? I spotted another familiar crow, then another, and another.

My gaze shot to Poe, an outpouring of love, pride, and recognition exuding off every feather.

“You’re right,” she said, but not with a human voice (obviously). I heard the words in my mind. Not spoken words, either. It’s difficult to explain without sounding like a complete lunatic. Telepathically, I understood her and she understood me, our souls intertwined on such a deep spiritual level. “They’re all here,” she continued. “And their mates. And their offspring. Look how well they turned out.”

Tears rose in my chest, and I ground my jaw, trying not to break down and ruin the moment.

Poe dipped her bill, hearts practically floating from her eyes. “I love you, too.”

I lost it, blubbering like a fool, tears tumbling down the sides of my face.

After a few more minutes with me, Poe leaped off the branch to rejoin her beautiful family. Generation after generation celebrating their reunion, their love, their unbreakable bond. Every once in a while, Poe glanced back at me. Overcome, I could not rein in my emotions, my heart filleted by this incredible gift.

It was the most surreal experience of my life.

As I think back on that day, I wonder about the timing. They reunited on a Sunday. Do crows spend Sundays with family like we do? Also, this grand celebration occurred between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Do they have holidays? Do all crows celebrate the same holidays? If so, what do they signify? Is there some crow-specific historical event that occurred on the first Sunday in December?

I don’t have any answers…yet. But I did hear about a crow celebration in the 1700s, where thousands—thousands!—of crows gathered in a New Hampshire field for several hours. The historian who told the tale described the same joyous energy I witnessed that day. If the date matches, I’ll probably faint. Haven’t had time to research it yet, but I will.

The most amazing lesson I learned was how animals communicate. No language barriers existed between me and Poe that day. For decades, we’ve assumed telepathic communication explained how different species are able to work together toward a common goal, but until I experienced it firsthand, I had no idea how it worked. It’s remarkable. Indescribable. A feeling like no other, and one I’ll cherish for a lifetime.

A Christmas miracle meant only for me. And now, I’m sharing it with you.

As much as I love the holidays, I understand some of you may be experiencing a gut-wrenching loss. I’ve had Christmases like that, too. It’s difficult to find joy when your heart is breaking. The holidays can turn loneliness and loss into unbearable pain. If you’re suffering this holiday season, Kelly Clarkson wrote a beautiful song for you.

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy (belated) Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanza! May the new year bring health, happiness, and heaps of good fortune.

 

 

 

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs on the Kill Zone (Writer's Digest "101 Best Websites for Writers"), Writers Helping Writers, and StoryEmpire. Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3) and Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-9 and continuing). Sue's appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her murder of crows, who live free but come when called by name. And nature feeds her soul.

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37 Comments

  • Robin Adair Anderson

    December 18, 2021 at 12:41 PM

    Absolutely beautiful, Sue! 💖 🐦🖤 They teach us SO much!

    Oh, and I love being able to read 📖 📚 ❤️ your writing, haha! 😂 😃 😉 Write more of this please! 🙏🏼 ❤️ 🎉

    Funny, that KC holiday album has been playing on repeat on my Spotify this week! LOVE her and the video! 🎶 ♥️ 🎄

    Happy Christmas & Merry New Year to you, Bob, the fur-kids, “kids” and grands! 🤗 ❤️ 😊

  • D.L. Finn

    December 16, 2021 at 5:31 PM

    What a wonderful story, Sue, and definitely a Christmas miracle for you. What an honor the crows gathering in your yard. I do believe we can communicate with them and you prove that. We have two ravens who have made their home with us in the forest. They seem to have a lot of fun following us around and waiting for the bears to figure out how to open our garage cans so they can play in the mess. Merry Christmas 🙂

  • Book Club Mom

    December 15, 2021 at 9:43 PM

    Hi Sue – what a moving story. Nature is truly awesome and we humans are only part of what goes on. How exciting for you to see the crows you once knew return!

    Happy Holidays !

    • Sue Coletta

      December 16, 2021 at 8:55 AM

      Thank you! Nature never ceases to amaze. So true. We’re only a small fraction of the natural world. Shame more people don’t recognize that. They’re missing the best part of life.

      Merry Christmas!!

  • Carolyn McBride

    December 15, 2021 at 3:07 PM

    I miss our white crow. Did I tell you they have offspring? The baby hatched grey in the spring and stayed grey. We still have no idea of genders, but there is a neighbourhood agreement (mostly) to not splash their photos all over the internet so some yahoo doesn’t come up and kill them. They’ve migrated for the winter now, but I sure hope they come back in the spring. I’d like to attract, feed and befriend them like you did with Poe. Happy holidays to you and your husband, and all the critters, Sue!
    Carolyn McBride recently posted…The Scarlet Seed of DeathMy Profile

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 3:31 PM

      Your spirit crow should come back, Carolyn. They usually return to the same spot year after year. Aww, the babies sound adorable. Good thinking about not posting pics. There’s always some a**hole who wants to harm crows. Did you hear about Cannuck? Kidnapped! And possibly killed. Disgraceful. I feel so bad for his human.

      Merry Christmas to you, Betty, and the kids! xo

  • Kathy Steinemann

    December 15, 2021 at 12:00 PM

    Dawwwww. Thanks for sharing this, Sue.

    I put out dog or cat kibble every morning, with other non-salty leftovers, cut up apples, etc. At this time of year, I have magpies and ravens, but in the warmer months, crows take the place of ravens. Blue jays year-round. Robins in the spring. They recognize my voice, and many come within inches of my feet as I spread their breakfast. It’s such an uplifting way to begin the day.
    Kathy Steinemann recently posted…Redundancy Quiz #13 for Writers: Can You Score 100%?My Profile

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 12:16 PM

      Aww, love that, Kathy. There’s no better way to start the day!

      Blue jays are super smart, too. Did you know crows and jays are cousins? I’ve seen videos of people training wild blue jays to eat out of their hand. Amazing! I wish ravens could stay with crows in the spring and summer, but nesting season trumps any alliances formed in the off-season. This time of year my ravens hang around with Poe and the gang. Their strong bills come in handy. LOL But once late March rolls around, the ravens know to leave the area. {{{hugs}}}

  • Cecilia Marie Pulliam

    December 15, 2021 at 11:51 AM

    Thank you for sharing your incredible story. I’ve read how intelligent crows are, but to have a first hand account of the special bond you have with your feathered family is a wonderful treat. My husband and I seem to share telepathic thoughts in uncanny ways. It started when we first started dating, so it can’t be that old couple’s syndrome. Having that with members of the animal kingdom, as you described woudl be an incredible experience. Gave me goosbumps. A Christmas miracle indeed! Merry Christmas, Sue.
    Cecilia Marie Pulliam recently posted…Our Faith, a Reason for Joy or Guilt?My Profile

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 12:08 PM

      Thank you, Cecilia! I know what you mean. My husband and I have a similar ability. It’s freakishly cool. But I always considered that more intuition than telepathy. Now you’ve got me wondering…

      When I think back to that first day out in the yard, hoping to befriend a wild crow, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come. What a heartwarming journey it’s been. I’ve learned so much from Poe.

      Merry Christmas, Cecilia. {{{hugs}}}

  • Tina Glasneck

    December 15, 2021 at 11:27 AM

    What a wonderful story Sue!! It brightened up my day and confirmed this special bond can exist between humans and animals. We can communicate telepathically and energetically. It is wonderful to hear how your kindness has helped a family grow and how that family counts you as one of their own.
    Tina Glasneck recently posted…KrampusMy Profile

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 11:41 AM

      Thank you, Tina! I’m so glad my story brightened your day. I wish everyone could share the same experience. Truly magical. xo

  • Debbie Burke

    December 15, 2021 at 9:46 AM

    Sue, this a.m., I promised myself I would get important chores done before I checked email. But you led me astray (not the first time!) with the first couple of lines of your post. I had to keep reading. Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing. This is a miserable Christmas for a number of people I love so your post lightened my heart.

    Here’s my recent crow story for you. There’s a murder of crows living in blue spruce trees in my neighbor’s yard. The other day, I heard an awful racket and went outside to see what was wrong. A hawk was perched on the very top of the tree and a crow was swooping around it, hollering. For the next five minutes, the crow dipped and dive-bombed the hawk. The hawk held its ground on the treetop. But the crow would not give up.

    Finally, the hawk had had enough. It flapped big wings and left. But the crow wasn’t finished. It “escorted” the hawk like a bouncer with a drunk, still squawking, still dive-bombing, until they were tiny dots I could no longer see.

    The triumphant crow eventually returned, having successfully protected home and hearth.

    Wishing you and your family a joyful Christmas!
    Debbie Burke recently posted…Meet My Partners in CrimeMy Profile

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 10:05 AM

      Hahaha. Classic! Crows always escort the enemy out of their domain. If the hawk persists, it’ll get ugly fast. I’ve personally witnessed Poe, Edgar, and family kill four hawks. In their defense, the hawk went after their young. It’s frightening (and impressive!) to watch. Poe jumps on the hawk’s wing while the others come from underneath, until the hawk spirals to its death. As an animal lover, I feel bad. Then a hawk steals a chippie and I call for Poe to do it again. LOL

      I’m so sorry to hear about your loved ones who are suffering, Debbie. {{{hugs}}} Glad I was able to lift your spirits.

      Thank you! Merry Christmas!

  • CS Boyack

    December 15, 2021 at 9:16 AM

    Such an amazing event. Nature is wonderful if we take the time to just observe. We don’t even have to interact, only witness. There are many mysteries we’ll never understand, but bulldozing habitat isn’t the way to learn about it.

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 9:22 AM

      I couldn’t agree more, Craig. It kills me to see humans tearing apart animals’ habitat. And for what? The almighty dollar. Disgraceful. Humans could learn a lot from animals, if we only took the time to observe. I teach my grandchildren about the natural world in the hopes that their generation will do better than ours.

      Wishing you a fabulous Christmas, Craig! I’ll be in touch soon…

  • Garry Rodgers

    December 15, 2021 at 8:12 AM

    Wonerful, wondeful story, Sue, and so well told. I have no doubt telepathy is a real phenonenum, but the science is somewhere as advanced as understanding consciousness. Just watch a flock of pigeons or blackbirds as they maneuver through the sky. There isn’t an apparent leader calling the shots but somehow they all know when to dip and dive and swerve. Crows, on the other hand, act like a dysfunctional commune of hippies when you watch them individually. However, as a group in whole, they are totally organized. We have a resident crow flock here in our neighbourhood of around 100. You can set your watch by them. 10:00 and 2:30, they start swooping in and create a ruckus that’s a joy to watch – a true miracle of nature. Thanks for this heartfelt piece this morning and Merry Christmas to the Coletta flock from the Rodgers herd!
    Garry Rodgers recently posted…LIKE ME, YOU’RE PROBABLY A BIT LAZY TOOMy Profile

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 8:26 AM

      Thank you, Garry! Dsyfunctional commune of hippies? Hahaha. Maybe lone Canadian crows devour too many fermented apples. 😉 Poe rules her family with military precision. Impressive, indeed. Allan, one of her and Edgar’s firstborn, was awkward to say the least, but over time he’s grown into an impressive crow. Oddly enough, he never left home. There’s always one in every family, right?

      Merry Christmas, sweet friend. <3

  • Gwen Plano

    December 15, 2021 at 7:13 AM

    I love this post, Sue. Every morning (barring bad weather) I take a long walk on a country path. Always there are ravens near. When they speak to me, I respond “hello” and they squawk back at me. One day, a raven replied back with two syllables. So I said again “hello” and again it responded with two syllables. This went on until I continued my walk. I had made a friend and to this day, I talk with them. I know nothing about ravens, but I’ve come to love them. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story. 💗

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 8:10 AM

      Aww, that’s beautiful, Gwen. Crows and ravens name their favorite humans, a call meant only for them. I wouldn’t be surprised if those two syllables are your name. Thank YOU for sharing your story!

  • Margot Kinberg

    December 15, 2021 at 7:02 AM

    Oh, that is such a lovely story, Sue! I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been to witness. Those birds really do like and trust you, and it’s obvious. And what a special gift that trust is! Thanks for sharing your story.

    • Sue Coletta

      December 15, 2021 at 8:08 AM

      Thanks, Margot! When a bond forms between you and a wild animal, it’s truly magical. The process takes time and patience, but well worth the effort.