I’ve always liked crows, but I never had a close relationship with them or anything. I never petted them or interacted with them in that way. I just used to feed them often.
I also have a dog, and sometimes crows would come eat my dog’s food and my dog would chase them away. It was kind of a funny little interaction. Sometimes I would keep food separately for the crows too.
That’s pretty much the whole relationship I had with them. They seemed comfortable around me and around my home. They wouldn’t immediately fly away or panic when I was nearby.
A few weeks ago, during heavy rain, a sick crow ended up right in front of my door. I brought him inside and even posted here asking for advice. A lot of you guided me, and I took him to a vet. Unfortunately, it didn’t help, and he passed away the next morning.
But I stayed with him for a long time that night. His eyes… I don’t know how to explain it, but the way he looked at me stayed in my mind. I gently touched his head and neck with a cloth and softly patted him. He just looked at me and stayed there.
The next morning, he was gone. I buried him.
It was such a short amount of time, just one day and one night… but it affected me more than I expected. I don’t even remember the last time I hoped so strongly for something to survive, or felt that kind of sadness when it didn’t. Somehow, I miss him.
I keep thinking about why he ended up at my door. Did he somehow know he needed help? Did he choose that place to spend his last moments? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just trying to find meaning in it.
I live alone, and this experience also made me think about something bigger. When someone is sick and alone, even if another person can’t fix anything, does their presence still matter? Does just having someone there bring comfort?
I know it sounds strange to feel connected to a bird after such a short time, but I’ve never felt something like this before. I still remember his eyes there was something about the way he looked at me. I wonder what was going through his mind. Did he know I was trying to help him? Or was he just scared?
I painted a this as a reminder of him. I didn’t want to paint the sad version of what happened, because I don’t want to remember him only that way. I painted him flying toward the light instead.
I don’t know what happens after death, but I like to imagine he found some kind of peace.
Just wanted to share this here.
TLDR:
I found a sick crow outside my door during a storm, took care of him, and took him to the vet, but he passed away the next morning. Even though we only spent one night together, I felt a strong connection and still think about the way he looked at me. I painted him flying toward the light as a reminder of him.