Grandfather and His Little Bird

#آگاهی #فرهنگ_سازی A little memory of my grandfather and his bird. Please read. When I was seven or eight, Grandfather kept a small cage by the window in his room. Inside was a sweet-voiced bird named Ziba. He would sometimes sit beside her for hours, drinking tea with sugar cubes or talking to her. Sometimes he put on the radio and they listened to music together. It always seemed strange to me. Sometimes Aghajoon even laughed out loud. He delighted in her company. She was his companion. One day, when Aghajoon was asleep, I decided to set Ziba free. I felt sorry for her and thought she should not be in a cage. First I opened the window, then, carefully, the cage. But Ziba looked at me and did not fly out. 'Go on,' I kept saying. 'You're free.' She studied me, stepped out, then flew not to the window but onto Grandfather's shoulder. He woke up. My heart sank. I thought Aghajoon was going to tear me apart. Instead he stood and said, 'Good morning, my beautiful Ziba.' With tears in his eyes, he gently returned her to the cage. 'I... I... Aghajoon... I...' 'I know, son. I'm not upset.' 'Do you know why they say never to release a caged bird suddenly into the forest?' 'No.' 'Because the cage is all it has known. Set it loose all at once and it may die of fear and grief in less than a day. It isn't ready for so much freedom.' 'I let Ziba out in the room every day,' he said. 'Then I would take her into the courtyard and let her explore the garden beds and the trees. Little by little, I wanted freedom to become something sweet for her, not something frightening or overwhelming.' 'I've lived my life. I want to know that when I'm gone, she will be ready to be free. I play the radio so the sounds of people, singing, and the street will become familiar to her.' 'Aghajoon...' I said. 'That is why people like me were not ready for freedom and dignity, and did not appreciate Shahanshah Aryamehr. We were unprepared, and fear and misery destroyed us.' Let us help one another learn the culture of freedom, so this time we can stand beside our Shah and build the Iran we deserve. #جاویدشاه @PahlaviReza @ShahbanouFarah