Can Birds Fly?

My little daughter Christina who has Down syndrome was playing in the backyard today with her younger sister Maria.

Christina and Maria

Suddenly the girls came running in, telling me “Mom, a little green bird is stuck in the tree and cannot fly anymore.” So I went outside to look at this bird. Indeed, there was a very pretty little green bird stuck between the dividing trunk of one of our Mesquite trees. I picked up this bird, took it inside the house and offered the exhausted little thing some water, which it drank eagerly. I found an extra shoe-box, laid some paper-towels inside and carefully placed the bird inside this box. The girls stayed with the bird while I started to make some phone calls, trying to figure out how to help this little creature.

A few hours later the bird died mysteriously, and Christina and Maria were so sad. In order to divert their attention, I asked Maria to continue with her homeschooling writing exercises, and I took Christina to the piano

Christina playing the piano

for her daily piano practice. After playing a couple of her favorite songs, I tried to reinforce the concept of Low and High on the keyboard. To illustrate this and get her to understand this concept, I asked her a bunch of questions like: can cats fly High in the air or are they Low on the ground? Of course her response was “no, cats don’t fly, they are Low on the ground.” Then I asked:”Can ducks fly High Up?” Yes. “Can chickens fly High Up? Yes. “Can birds fly High Up?” Christina’s response was:”No mom, the bird is dead and cannot fly, poor birdie.”…..her answer startled me a little, and I thought to myself ‘What a precious and caring and truthful answer she had.” That is how our kids with Down syndrome are: very caring and loving, always concerned for the well-being of others.

I finished Christina’s piano lesson

Me teaching Christina piano

with her new favorite tune “Little Train” where at the end she gets to blow into a wooden whistle that sound just like a real train. I am amazed how fast and well she is learning all those little piano tunes. It just goes to show, kids with Down syndrome CAN learn to play the piano!!!

Music Transforms You,

Daniela Clapp