The little girl lay in her bed under soft covers. As the
light of dawn slowly filled the room, a small bird flitted onto a tree outside
and began to chirp. In the barnyard, the rooster crowed loudly and Theresa
stirred in her sleep.
Her brown eyes opened. Her first thought was: "Today is
a special day. It is Someone's birthday - Someone important. It is
Baha'u'llah's Birthday." Theresa jumped out of bed, eager for the day to
start. Birthdays were one of her favorite things. There were always fun things
to do - candle-lit cakes and parties and friends. How she did love it all!
She stood before her closet. Mother had said that she did
not have kindergarten today because it was a Holy Day. So Theresa did not
choose a schooldress to wear. After slipping into some play clothes, she went
into the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and hair until they shone.
Mother was cooking breakfast in the warm kitchen. She set a
plate in front of Theresa, who drew in a deep breath of the sweet pancake
smell. Mother kissed the top of her head and told her it was like kissing the
ebony wings of a bird. It was very nice to think that her black hair matched the
color of a bird's feathers. She liked birds. In fact, she felt close to all of
God's animal creatures.
