I am a bird

Recently Jeri gave us an exercise to draw something that represents who we are, and I drew a bird. Soon after we did this exercise, I completed an application for UNCW which included a question asking me to show who I am and include an explaination. I won't include the picture, but here is the explanation:

I use a bird to represent myself because I feel that my life and my characteristics have many similarities to those of a bird. I have always been a nurturer; taking care of others is a really important aspect of who I am. Just like in birds' lives, babies will always be a central theme in my life. One of my goals in life is to nurture, care for, and improve the quality of life for babies. In my life working hard and efficiently has always been a priority. This is also a prominent characteristic of birds. Whether they are building a nest, raising a family or flying south, they work tirelessly and with a powerful dedication. Another similarity between myself and birds is that our homes are very important to us. We both put a lot of work and effort into building up our homes. For them it's a nest with with sticks and leaves, for me it is my family and others who I love and are encouraging to me. They build up their nests while I build up people around me and work to build relationships with them. Just like birds I am very dedicated to my home. Yet, at the same time, I will often leave my home in order to experience new things and new places. I am the type of bird who flies south for the winter, but always returns to their original home when spring comes. I love travel, I love to be independent, and I love to be free, but at the same time I never forget the importance of my roots and the importance of my own tree. I am adventurous, just like birds when they fly. However, I still use wisdom and I carefully calculate my choices, in the same way that birds do. I I love having new experiences and learning new things as I venture away from the nest and away from my own tree. Birds seem to be good listeners. This is a characteristic which I believe is really important, and which I want to work towards aquiring. I would like to continue to work towards being joyful, hopeful and encouraging like birds. If there is one thing that humans can do that is similar to flying, it would be dancing. Dancing is exciting, unpredictable, and fun, just like flying. When I dance I feel weightless and free, just like when a bird flies. I am a nurturer, an adventurer, a home builder, a traveler, a dancer, an encourager and a listener. All of these reasons are why I am like a bird.