The Macaw and the Puffin

I was traveling for a vacation to Caracas Venezuela. I had been there a few times before and there was a beach that was absolutely perfect. I went alone after a recent breakup and needed the time to let out some stress, and there was nowhere else better than the tropical area by the beach.

I arrived at the hotel late at night and slept in the next morning. I hurried to finish breakfast and prepare for my first day as a lounging beach-bound tourist.

On the way there, my mind wandered to thinking about my ex, Grace. Grace indeed, she certainly didn't leave my life gracefully. No, she wrecked my life like a bull in a porcelain shop. I gave everything I had to the relationship, but she was more interested in my money than she was in spending time with me. I almost didn't realize I was already walking on the warm, white sand of the beach. It would have taken even longer for me to realize had my eyes not caught something strange.

The vibrant red, yellow and blue of the majestic Scarlet Macaw flashed into my periphery. I had seen Macaws in the area, though they normally stuck to the rainforests and far away from people. I wondered if this macaw was someone's pet. I thought macaws couldn't be kept as pets, but I could have been wrong. Besides, just because it might be illegal still didn't rule it out as a pet. It was much too comfortable in the crowded beach to be wild. That's when I noticed the macaw's companion.

There, walking around the macaw, was what I first thought was a penguin. But no, it was a puffin. What in the world was a puffin doing so far away from Home? I flagged down a nearby local. "Excuse me," I asked. "Do you know anything about those birds?"

The man I stopped looked at me, then with the understanding that I was a tourist, he gave me a chuckle. "Yes, those two have been like that all Summer."

"But I thought puffins stayed where it's cold," I pressed.

"Oh usually," The local admitted. "I don't know why this one came down here. I don't know why the macaw left the forest. Some people throw them food which is probably why they stay on the beach."

"Oh, I see." I watched the odd couple for what seemed like an hour. Every day for a week, I returned to the beach and they were still there. Even while enjoying the rest of my vacation elsewhere, I kept thinking about them. The two birds were so different from their habitats to the vibrancy of their feathers, and yet they found each other. I found it comforting in a way, and it left me in a better mood during my trip.

Every morning, I would worry that I wouldn't see them at the beach. I became strangely invested in their odd little love dilemma. While they were very different in most ways, I did learn one thing about them that they had in common. Buth Puffins and Macaws mated for life. What would happen should the seasons change? Would they part ways? What would happen to them if they did have to be separated? It kept me awake at night. I questioned why I cared so much for them, then I realized that if they were able to make things work despite all the differences purely because they loved each other, then it might mean it could happen for humans, too.

As it turned out, I wasn't the only one invested in this bizarre little love story. As it turned out, a nearby bird rescue developed a habitat compatible with both of them in order for them to stay together no matter the weather. Ever since that week, I had a different optimistic view of relationships. The love that the macaw and puffin had taught me that love, when true, can be possible no matter how rough the obstacles were. It just took a bit of help from those around you.