I was craving to have a conversation of depth with Kevin and I asked him, “If you had to select one moment in your existence of playing the role of ‘Kevin/Baby Bear’ that felt most meaningful to you, what moment would you choose?”

 

I knew if I asked Kevin to list all of the most meaningful moments of his existence, the list would never end. For someone who has experienced countless meaningful memories, what singular moment would resonate deepest in his heart? 

 

Perhaps he would choose the moment we met, feeling as though we were reconnecting after eternity of being apart. Or the moment he embraced a plant-based lifestyle, recognizing that in doing what was best for his own health, he could see the interconnectedness of all life, and how his “personal” choices affect other people, animals, and the environment as a whole. 

 

He could have chosen the moment we coordinated our first veg fest, witnessing the power of people who come together to make the world a better place. Or the moment we shared in the awareness that we had already accomplished everything we ever set our minds to. If he were someone else, he may have chosen the moment he concluded his career of being a collision repair technician after dedicating years of his life to his work and training. 

 

Maybe he would choose the moment we set foot on the Appalachian Trail, letting go of everything we once had, and knowing our lives were about to change forever. He could have chosen the moment of us holding each other, sharing the intensity of our first near-death experience and remembering what Heaven meant to us on a very real, literal, and personal level. Or maybe he would choose the moment we completed the final ascent of our 2,483-mile hike from Georgia to Maine, reliving all the memories of our epic adventure in his mind all at once. 

 

He could have picked the moment we reunited across space and time, following our painful separation–when each of us learned to face our deepest fears and darkest versions of Hell “alone.” Would he choose the moment we remembered who we really are beyond our existence with Earth? Could he have chosen one of the many meaningful moments our eyes flooded with tears of remembering the endless depths of our love? 

 

I know Kevin would say all of these moments were meaningful to him, but what Kevin chose to share melted my heart beyond anything else he could have said. He took a brief moment to soak in the question before responding. And then sincerely answered, “the moment I realized that Muffin and Tokey were not just my partner’s birds–it was the moment I realized that they are my children; that I was always the chosen one to be their dad, their caretaker, and their protector; that I would do absolutely anything for them; that my babies will always come first. And that I love them and their sweet mamma with every fiber of my being.”

 

At the core of everything we are building with Friends with the Forest is profound love for the beings we’ve dedicated our lives to serving. Muffin and Tokey have taken on roles as ambassadors for the planet, representing preciousness in all beings, in all life. We wish to share this love and help it to grow more and more, to infinity and beyond. Together, we may spread a contagion of compassion to create a balanced, regenerative, and healthy existence for all. 

 

Thank you for playing a crucial role in turning dreams into reality, and for sharing love for two precious birdies who deserve everything their powerful little hearts desire. We are creating a nature haven to express our genuine love for all of life–may we all be friends with the forest.