There are moments when one action can set off a complete restructuring of our entire life and the expectations around it. One decision can change everything we thought we knew about ourselves. The Bloom family has had two of these defining situations.
The first occurred when Sam, mother of three, suffered an accident while vacationing in Thailand in 2013. In the aftermath, her doctor revealed she would never walk again. Though her husband Cameron adapted their Sydney home to be wheelchair friendly, the process of adjustment took a toll on Sam’s spirit.
“I was so angry. I’m still angry to be honest. I was also really angry at myself.”
But then, a few months later, something happened that seems to be taken out of a magical realism or children’s novel. Their son Noah found an injured magpie chick that had been blown out of her nest. The family decided to bring the three-week-old baby bird home and take care of it until she got better. Her fluffy appearance resulted in her being called Penguin. Caring for the fragile bird proved a serious feat. The three boys became in charge of feeding her, following the vet’s dietary instructions. But even with all the meticulous care being placed, there were nights when it seemed Penguin would not pull through. Then one day she flew for the first time in the living room, proving she was getting better.
Image by Cameron Bloom
What started as a family project became a form of therapy for Sam.
“She was pretty much on my lap or on my shoulder from the moment we brought her home. She was just company and she’d make us laugh.”
There’s a legend in the UK that you should always greet a lonely magpie to avoid any misfortune to fall upon you. However, not all mythology sees them as negative beings. Korean folklore believes these birds bring good news. Some American Indian peoples such as the Cheyenne, Blackfoot, and Hopi see them as allies, as well as intercessors between the divine and the human.
Cameron, a photographer, started taking pictures of the curious animal and her humans. It wasn’t long before the Instagram page gained a following. The images featured Penguin “conversing” with Sam, playing with the boys, or just being her quirky self around the house.
Image by Cameron Bloom
The boys would play with her by throwing a stick for her to catch with her beak. It could be said that it was almost as if she was a dog; however, potty-training a bird is not the same. The family jokes about the fact that Penguin “redecorated” a lot of their furniture. As she grew stronger, she became more independent. Though she slept inside the house for the first six months, she started to leave for longer periods. About a year after the Bloom family found her, she flew and did not return until six weeks later on the birthday of one of the boys.
Image by Cameron Bloom
Image by Cameron Bloom
Penguin stayed with the family for a couple of months only to leave again a year ago. She has yet to return to the Sydney household. But her leaving is not an unhappy ending. On the contrary, it seems that as the magpie healed, the entire family was enduring their own process. It could even be said that Penguin inspired Sam in her recovery. She is now a member of the Australian para-kayaking team.
“I’m out of the wheelchair, I’m in the water and back in nature, which I missed.”
There’s a possibility that Penguin will make a comeback. But perhaps she was a mythical being, who arrived when the family needed her most, and left once her work was done. There’s a chance she might have found another human or family who are in need of her spirit. For now, the images of the Bloom family and Penguin remain a visual fable of sorts on the healing power of nature.
You can read more about Penguin and the Bloom family here and here, as well as find even more images on the Instagram page.