You may want to turn your volume up a bit to hear the birds singing here

 "A Sandpiper To Bring You Joy"

  She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I  lived for the summer. I drove to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world began to close in on me. The ocean water, the waves, brought a peace to my soul, that I could not find anywhere else.  This little girl was building a sand castle or something and as she looked up at me, her eyes were as blue as the sea.

Hello," she said. I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with  a  small child.  "I'm building," she said. "I see that.  What is it?" I asked,  not caring.  "Oh I don't know, I just like the feel of the sand. "That sounds good,
I thought, and slipped off my shoes.

A sandpiper glided   by. "That's a joy," the child said. "It's what?"  I asked, uncaring.  "It's a joy!  My mama  says sandpipers come to
bring us joy. "The bird went glissading down the beach.

"Good-bye joy," I muttered to myself, "Hello, pain." and turned
to walk on.  I was depressed; my life seemed completely out of balance.  "What's your name?"  She wouldn't give  up, so I told her my name.

Mine's Wendy, and I'm six. Hi, Wendy.  I offered. She giggled. You're funny, she said..In spite of my gloom I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me "Come again, Mrs D" she called. "We'll have another happy day.

The days and weeks that followed did not ease the pain that filled my heart. .  The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwatsher I need a sandpiper, I said to myself, how I love to watch those little creatures as they go about their lives so busy and brisk, with their tiny feet seeming to go a hundred miles an hour. I grab my jacket and header for the beach.
The never changing peace of the seashore awaited me.  

The breeze was chilly, but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.  I had forgotten the child and was startled when she appeared.   She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things.  "When I left for home," Wendy said, "it had been a happy day." Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.

Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic.  I was in no mood to greet even Wendy.  I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.  "Look, if you don't mind, "I'd rather be alone today."."  She seemed unusually pale and out of breath.  "Why?" she asked I turned on her and shouted, "Because my daughter died!" and thought, my God, why was I saying this to a little child?

Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."  "Yes, and yesterday and the day before that and oh, go away!" "Did it hurt?, she said" "Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.  "When she died?"  "Of course it hurt!"
I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in  myself.  I strode off..........

   A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there.  Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door.  A drawn looking  young woman with honey colored hair opened the door.   "Hello," I said.  "My name is Carol and I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."  "Oh yes, please come in.  Wendy talked of you so much. I'm afraid   I allowed her to bother you.  If she was a nuisance, please accept my apologies." "Not at all she's a delightful child," I said, suddenly realizing that I meant it.  "Where is she?"  "Wendy died last week, Mrs. D.  She had leukemia,  maybe she didn't tell you

   Struck dumb, I groped for a chair.  My breath caught.  "She loved this beach; so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no."  She seemed so much  better here and had a lot of what she called happy days.  But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly...."  Her voice faltered.  "She left something for you..  if only I can find it.  Could you wait a moment while I look?" 
I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something, anything, to say to  this lovely young woman.  She handed me a smeared envelope, with MRS. D  printed in bold, childish letters. Inside was a picture and wording in black crayon, a yellow beach, a blue sea, a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed: 
A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY"

   Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten how to love opened wide.  I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm sorry,  I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I muttered over and over, and we wept together
.
The precious little picture  she gave me is framed now and hangs in my den.  Six words on that pictures one for each year of her life that speak to me of  inner harmony,  courage, undemanding love.  A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand who taught me the "Gift Of Love".

I love you Wendy. Thank you ...