Palm Warbler : From Trash to Treasure

This is a Palm Warbler. I’d not seen one before, and I was uncertain as to what it was. I was excited for the opportunity to learn a new bird, and I was pleased with the photo’s character. Leaving the park, I bumped into a knowledgeable friend. We swapped stories of notable sightings, and he confirmed my mystery bird’s identity. Without intending any denigration at all, my birding friend explained that in Florida this would be a “trash” bird, but when seen in Austin it’s a special rarity.

I make kiddush each Friday night with a tiny silver cup. The silver isn’t worth twenty dollars; the cup is dented, has a bit of tarnish, and the embellishment is largely faded. It’s not much to see. This cup was a baby gift to my parents from my Zaide’s long-dead cousin, who escaped Europe to Mandatory Palestine. This cup is an Aladdin’s Lamp of memories and what-ifs, evoking memories of my grandparents and fantasies of a large extended family stolen. This cup is worthless - and also a priceless treasure I would save from a burning house.

Clearly the things around us have no inherent meaning. The value we ascribe to them, however, can make the most mundane item into a treasure chest of our must poignant reflections. The ne plus ultra of “common” is dirt. And yet it was precisely dirt into which HaShem infused His spirit to create humankind, the pinnacle of the week of creation. Intentionality. Being the “like-ness” of our Creator lovingly compels us to give meaning - consciously - to the walk through our daily lives. Kavanah elevates a Warbler, or a small silver cup, from insignificant “trash” to holy treasure.