ACT OF KINDNESS CONTEST @kouba01 (10th April)

_{Taken by my own camera}

There are moments when kindness is not planned, it emerges, carried by an emergency, by a crossed gaze, by a beating of wings suspended in the unexpected, this is what happened this week, on a football field, seemingly ordinary, but which saw the birth of an unexpected, deep and moving act of solidarity, bringing together children, educators, and a migratory bird in distress.

Every year, pink flamingos from far away cross the skies to reach one of their rare refuges in an urban environment: the Sijoumi lagoon, this natural basin, still miraculously preserved, welcomes hundreds of birds who come to rest and feed there during the migratory season, but because of urban density, the increasing presence of buildings, artificial lighting, and perhaps the stress of the journey, it happens that some of these birds lose their bearings, This is how two flamingos, visibly lost, mistook the green artificial turf of a football field with a small, quiet lake, a deceptive mirage that cost them dearly.

_{The Sijoumi lagoon(Taken from Google)}

That day, children were quietly playing football, laughing under a blue sky, running between the white lines of the field, when one of them, looking up, saw a struggling silhouette, a large bird, hanging from the net stretched above the field to prevent the balls from escaping, a second flamingo, a few meters away, motionless, desperately clinging its legs to the mesh, it was a moment of alert, a mixture of amazement and compassion, quickly, the children called the adults, and without waiting, a whole human chain was set in motion.

The net was high, the birds heavy, their wings beating weakly, we had to act quickly, but without hurting them, the educators tinkered with pieces of pipe and ribbon, a homemade pole to try to delicately reach the birds and free them, the children watched, tense, some praying in a low voice, others shaking the hands of their classmates, the atmosphere had changed.

It was no longer a simple match, it was a life lesson, after several attempts, gentle but precise gestures, one of the two flamingos, the youngest, was able to be detached, an educator caught it in his arms as one would hold an injured child, the bird hardly moved, tired, shocked, but alive, its large pink and black wings hung on each side of the man who carried it with extreme caution.

Unfortunately, for the second bird, it was already too late, it had lost too much blood, or perhaps it had been injured even before finding itself caught in the net, despite all efforts, it succumbed a few minutes later, we immediately contacted the local authorities, who came to take care of the surviving bird so that it received the necessary care in a specialized center, it was a moment mixed with sadness and hope, a brutal reminder that every life is fragile, that even the most fragile majestic birds can fall, but also that humans, when they choose kindness, can make all the difference.

That day, on this football field transformed into a rescue scene, the children experienced a moment that they will not forget, they saw that kindness was not an abstract concept, but a concrete, urgent, vital gesture, they learned that in the face of suffering, indifference is never an option, that reaching out, even to a being who does not speak our language, is an act of nobility.

The beauty of this day lies in its spontaneity, no one was prepared for this, and yet, everyone was able to find their place, their role, their courage, because in the end, kindness often begins with a look raised to the sky, a cry of warning, an improvised pole, and a hand extended towards the other, even when that other has wings. Even when that other is a flamingo.

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Thank you very much for reading, it's time to invite my friends @mikitaly, @aneukpineung78, @chant to participate in this contest.

Best Regards,
@kouba01