May 4, 2025

Acts 9:1-20
John 21:15-17

I was on Kauai in March at Ha’ena Beach. It’s a special place, even though the day I visited it was, let’s face it, raining. Come to think of it, it was Hilo weather. I probably should have left that at home.

While I was there I saw three birds that were very special to me, because I’d never seen them before. Two of them don’t live on our island.

While I was there, I didn’t see them talking, but perhaps, just perhaps, they had a conversation after I left. It might have gone like this:

“Who was that guy with the camera?” asked one of the koloa, a Hawaiian duck.

[There are a pair of koloa flying in the upper photo.]

“He took a lot of pictures of me,” said the male white-rumped shama, showing off his long blue-black tail.

[The male shama is posing at upper right.]

“You posed,” said his wife, whose tail was much shorter and whose feathers were gray rather than deep blue.

[The female shame is at lower right, and also posing.]

“He took all of our picture,” said the ‘alae ‘ula (Hawaiian gallinule) from the swampy ground where he had been feeding and, as far as anyone could tell, not noticing.

[The ‘alae ‘ula is at lower left.]

“He took my picture the most because I’m special,” said the male shama. “I mean, look at these feathers! Look at this tail! Wouldn’t you take my picture if you could?”

The other birds had to admit that they probably would.

“You see?” said the shama. “I’m special.”

“Yes, you’re special,” said the female shama, “but I’m special, too. You’ve got more spectacular feathers than I do, but try and lay an egg without me.” The female koloa quacked her agreement before her husband could protest.

“You’re all special,” sighed the ‘alae ‘ula. “I wish I had your feathers, shama, or your black-barred wings, koloa. I’m afraid I’m not special. He took my picture and then went away.”

The other four birds were rather uncomfortable about this, because it was true. I took the ‘alae ‘ula’s picture and went away.

“It was raining rather hard,” said the shama, who stayed beneath leaves while it happened unlike the koloa or the ‘alae ‘ula.

“It was,” said one of the koloa. “Perhaps water doesn’t roll off of him…”

“…Like water off a duck’s back?” laughed her mate.

The birds had a good laugh, and then the shama said seriously, “’Alae ‘ula, you’re very special. There are so few of your kind in the world.”

“That’s a tough way to be special,” said the ‘alae ‘ula, and it’s true. It is tough being in a small group in a big world.

“There’s only one you,” said a koloa. “That’s true of me, and all of us. There’s only one. You’re special, each and every one of you.”

The ‘alae ‘ula nodded solemn gratitude to each of the other special birds, and went back to feeding.

Like each of them, each of us – each of you – is unique in the world, precious, and special.

Even if water doesn’t necessarily roll off you like water rolls off a duck’s back.

by Eric Anderson

Watch the Recorded Story

I write these stories in advance, but I tell them from memory plus improvisation. What you have just read is not identical to the way I told it.

Photos of (clockwise from upper left) two koloa in flight, a male white-rumped shama, a female white-rumped shama, and an ‘alae ‘ula by Eric Anderson.