On a crisp fall afternoon, one in which St. Louis showed the beauty of its bipolar weather, I was greeted with a smile and warm “hello” from my Buddy. Sitting near the window at the large denoted “greeting” table, my Buddy was ever so excited to see the mass of young faces which had quickly filled the room.

“What are we up to today?” 

I asked. I typically greeted every Buddy and tried to engage in at least a few moments of small talk with the entirety of the room. Beside my Buddy was another resident, whom I had often included in my Buddy and I’s activities, as she had not been paired with a WashU volunteer.

“Oh, not much just sitting here waiting for you.” 

My Buddy replied. She often could be found waiting for her routine-like volunteers to arrive or powerwalking throughout the hallways.

“Ha! Well, I am glad to see your face this morning!” 

Seeing my Buddy had, overtime, become one of the highlights of my week, as it allowed for me to escape the stress of rigorous academics and focus on developing a genuine relationship with another person.

After our initial greetings, my Buddy and I started conversing about every possible thing; we discussed the menu and the schedule for the day—as we always did—then proceeded to talk about artists, dorm bands, and geography—ranging from southern Illinois to Switzerland. I always enjoyed conversing with my Buddy, as the conversation could quite literally be around anything, which was a great substitute to the typical STEM conversations I was used to.

Around the hour mark of volunteering, the conversation had started to slow, which is when a St. Louis native decided to make an appearance. Right outside the second-story window, in the massive branches of the old trees, was a bright red cardinal.

“Look, a cardinal!” 

I exclaimed. My Buddy looked across the table and started to smile when she laid eyes on the iconic St. Louis mascot.

“How beautiful!” 

She said, as we watched the bird in silence, another landed near the first, and before we knew it, four additional birds had landed in the trees. I watched as my Buddy followed the birds with both interest and awe, giving all her attention to the magnetic creatures.

The simple act of watching birds may seem almost silly, but watching my Buddy appreciate the beauty of something as simple as cardinals made me realize just how much we take for granted the little things in life. To me, cardinals are just another thing in this world, but to my Buddy they are so much more than just things. My Buddy may not realize it, but she truly is making an impact on me every time I visit, leading me to be a more empathetic, caring, and observant person.

Now, every time I see a cardinal, I am reminded to slow down and appreciate the little things, just like my Buddy.