A Donation In Honor of Jane McIntyre
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
By Susan McIntrye
Susan McIntyre is a licensed clinical social worker and is the director of Counseling and Wellness for The Centre for Women. She is currently an Eagle Watch volunteer and is the exasperated but loving owner of two rescue parrots. Below is a recount of a special memory regarding a recent donation in honor of her mom, Jane McIntyre:
The February Audubon meeting fell on what would have been my mother’s 100th birthday. As I listened to the request for funding for the protective window screen at Lettuce Lake Park, I was moved to donate $100 in her honor—an especially fitting cause connected to a vivid childhood memory.
When I was in second grade, we lived in a home with a large picture window in the living room. One morning, I witnessed a bird fly into the glass and fall lifeless onto our porch. Seeing how upset I was, my mother turned the moment into a gentle teaching opportunity. She leaned into my curiosity—about the bird itself and about death. She placed the bird in a shoebox, and we sat together on the porch, examining its beautiful features and softly stroking its feathers.
At that young age, I began to understand that death was not always something to fear. We spent time reflecting on life, accidents, and loss before burying the bird. I wonder if that moment helped plant the seed for my lifelong love of birds and my enduring interest in the wellbeing of all birds.
That memory remains vivid, and I am grateful for the opportunity now to help prevent unnecessary bird deaths. Contributing to the window film feels like a meaningful way to pay it forward.
A happy side note is that both of my parents became Audubon members in their retirement, and my mother was an avid nature photographer. I am proud to continue that legacy of caring and like many of us, will be filled with loving thoughts on Mother’s Day.
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