My Parakeet, BLUE-JAE, passes away ...

BLUE-JAE is gone. My bird-buddy of 6 years succumbed to respiratory-related illness last Saturday evening, while under care in a veterinarian clinic based out in Virginia Beach. Looking at BLUE-JAE in his last hours wasn't easy. He could no longer hold strong to the cage like he used to, or even spread his wings to fly. To make it even worse, he falls down and I can see him shaking his head. It is very sad to see him go through the pain but he avoids most of that as he is taking several naps for most of the day ... I have to give him the praise for always being a fighter who stuck around right to the very end. Whether he would bleed and almost die in one instance (after being in a cage accident), he kept on - to live! And whenever he felt like he was shunned out from other parakeets, I was always there to make him feel welcome by feeding him (making my presence known) and sometimes talking to him about my life (like he was listening). BLUE-JAE just had this wonderful aura. He always made me get that sense of appreciation on anything especially as I was facing certain challenges along the way. We played with each other a whole lot by winking our eyes together left and right and saying a bunch of shrills that would hype him up from the get go ... BLUE-JAE's lasting impression might appear to be agonizing, but his courage to live gave me a renewed spirit to do the same. As he climbed the ladder one more time, he staggered but continued on. He reached out his head and extended his neck to take another initial step. Even though I appeared concerned, I smiled with ease cheering him on and saying he did a good job. BLUE-JAE in his illness was no longer active. Gone were his golden days - especially with his cage-mate YAM. YAM and I did everything we could to provide our careness for him in his last hours. She plumed his feathers as he was feeling really weak and leaned on her for support. That was nice of her to do ... I wasn't there for BLUE-JAE's burial and looking at him dead is so hard for me to take. However, he did left one indication, one reminder - a winking of one eye - the thing we used to do. BLUE-JAE's remains is now on the back left portion of the backyard. Before the burial, my brother Jayson showed BLUE-JAE to YAM. He was letting her know that BLUE-JAE's time has come and that he'll now be in a better place somewhere. Plus, it was proper to say goodbye especially them being such a good team for a long, long time. There will always be BLUE-JAE & YAM. They will be so synonymous in my life forever. BLUE-JAE'S legacy will live on to YAM and other parakeets JUNIOR & his partner JESSIE. And coming soon in BLUE-JAE'S place will be a new addition to the bird line-up: MARCUS. He will fill in the void that BLUE-JAE has left behind. BLUE-JAE, wherever you are, buddy, I will always love you and will think of you highly especially when things happen in my life. I know you're winking at me, my good friend :)