Sonita the swallow was preparing for her annual, long winter trip when she was presented with an easier way to spend the winter. All she had to do was eat seeds instead of bugs. Did she deny her natural instincts to be with her friends or courageously take a stand for herself?

Sonita was a beautiful black-collared swallow from a family of birds that always flew south for winter. Although they switched homes during the colder months, they still maintained friendships with other birds that stayed put year-round.

Bonnie, one of Sonita’s closest friends, was a blue jay. Blue jays would feed on nuts, seeds, and other plant-related goodies that were available all year. Sonita, however, only feasted on seasonal winged insects, which made her dietary needs much different than Bonnie’s.

As signs of winter slowly started to show one day, Bonnie said to Sonita, “Hey Sonita, why don’t you stay with my family this winter?”

She continued, “There’s lots of warm shelter here, and you can just eat what everybody here eats. Plus, we could hang out all the time!”

Although Sonita was tempted by the idea of staying put instead of flying hundreds of miles south, she politely declined. “Oh, that’s nice of you to offer, Bonnie, but remember that I only eat insects that aren’t available during the winter”.

“But who says that’s all you have to eat,” said Bonnie. “All of our friends and I enjoy nuts and seeds just fine.” Sonita realized that Bonnie was trying to convince her to act against beliefs and instincts. She put her foot down and proudly declared,

“I am a swallow who eats insects. Nothing gives me more pride than being myself!” Bonnie and the other birds developed a newfound respect for Sonita because she unconditionally stood up for who she was.