My Happy Birthday Dance for Wendy

The symbol of infinity

We just got back from visiting Wendy's parents in Cape Cod, Mass. In one of their guest bedrooms, they've put up a remarkable, multi-exposure photo of the moon, taken at the same time every day. It occurred to me that the image looked a lot like the symbol for infinity, with the moon's position taking the outer edges of the figure during the solstices and crossing back over the center of the figure during the equinoxes.

Today, I found Wendy out on our deck watching a small bird perched on one of our trees. She had seen him do a couple of flights, return to the perch, and then sing. She thought it was a mating ritual. Then the bird flew off the perch and, from our perspective, followed the same figure-8 path as the infinity symbol.

We were both awed to see this. I said to her, "Maybe he's doing a dance for his girlfriend that describes to her the moon, the year, and all the romance that those images contain. I wish I could do a dance like that for you."

She said it was the sweetest thing she had ever heard.