I dreamt of an oriole but it returned too early and none of the trees had started to bloom. The oriole is my “birthday bird”, one of my favorite migratory birds that always makes an appearance the week around my birthday in early May. I don’t always know what my dreams are telling me, but I listen to the ones that stay in my mind after I awake. This year was to be my 45th birthday, the dream was shortly after my extensive surgery for removal of endometriosis lesions and complete hysterectomy. I knew this was my birthday present to myself. A reduction print of the bird in my dream perched on the naked branches awaiting what was supposed to be.