Stunning photos show how a magpie returned the favor to the family that saved her.
Sometimes an animal companion is the best medicine.
Almost four years ago, Sam Bloom went on a trip to Thailand that changed her life forever.
She loves going on adventures with her husband, Cameron, and their three boys, and this trip was no different. One morning, after a dip in the ocean, they decided to get a juice and sit on the roof deck of their hotel. Sam leaned on an unstable part of the railing and fell, landing on the tile floor 18 feet below.
Just like that, everything was different.
Sam broke her back and fractured her skull, causing massive brain bleeding and swelling. Her injuries were so extensive that she wasn't able to return home to Australia for three weeks and had to stay in the hospital for another seven months. When doctors told her she'd never walk again, she says, it felt like a significant part of her died.
Shortly after returning home, the family stumbled upon a tiny three-week-old magpie that had fallen out of a tree.
Little did they know how much the tiny bird would change their lives.
Meet Penguin. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
The magpie was in desperate need of love and care. After a quick call to a veterinarian friend, the family decided to take her in. She required a great deal of attention, including feedings every three hours, but soon started to recuperate.
They named the magpie Penguin. From that moment on, she was part of the family.
Nap time. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
Penguin often acted like a pet, but the Blooms never forgot the magpie was wild. She got a nest made out of a laundry basket and could come and go as she pleased.
It felt incredibly special, Cam says, that Penguin usually chose to hang with them.
She loved to clown around with the boys, stealing food off their plates and pooping on their shirts.
Breakfast. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
Lunch. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
Even though Penguin could be loud and messy (just like her brothers) she could also be the sweetest companion.
Reading. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
Penguin's warm, quirky presence was especially meaningful to Sam, who was still recovering from her accident in more ways than one.
Cooking together. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
"She was great company," Sam explains over the phone. "I was going crazy being stuck at home. She was always on my lap or shoulder. She was good for me because I would just talk to her and tell her what was going through my head."
Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
Sam says she often felt like she was whining too much about her situation to Cameron (to which Cam quickly interjects "Never!"), so she fell into the habit of sharing her feelings with the magpie.
Over the next several months, Sam's mood improved as she watched her kids and Penguin play together.
Kisses. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
Music hour. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
When Sam had to do her physical therapy, Penguin joined her.
Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
And even got in some PT training herself.
Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin The Magpie.
After a few months, it was time for Penguin to leave the nest.
Setting Penguin free wasn't easy. The family set her up in a frangipani tree outside their house, but she often came back inside to escape the other magpies who tried to dive-bomb her. Magpies can be quite territorial, and Penguin seemed to be infringing on claimed property.
Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
Slowly, Penguin got used to leaving her human nest for longer and longer stretches. Then, over a year ago, she flew away for the last time.
Sam, ever an adventurer, made it onto the Australian para-canoe team and was away competing in the world kayak championship in Italy when Penguin left for good.
"Of course I miss her, but she came at a perfect time and left at a perfect time," says Sam.
The family was certainly sad to see her go, but Sam had been making major strides in her own recovery and finally felt she was in a good place emotionally and physically. The magpie had been there for her while she was recovering, just as her family had been there for Penguin when Penguin needed them.
No matter where she goes, Penguin will always be part of the Bloom family.
She gave them joy and love during a difficult time, and filled their house with laughter. Thanks to Cameron's amazing photography skills, the family also has a book full of incredible photos of Penguin enjoying life with them written by New York Times best-selling author, Bradley Trevor Greive.
Penguin with her family. Photo by Cameron Bloom/Penguin the Magpie.
It just goes to show that you never know what form hope will take when you need it most.
For the Bloom family, it happened to be in the form of a scrappy-looking magpie that needed their help; little did they know she'd end up saving them just as much as they saved her.



Millennial mom struggles to organize her son's room.Image via Canva/fotostorm
Boomer grandparents have a video call with grandkids.Image via Canva/Tima Miroshnichenko


Information from the NICABM website regarding the "Window of Tolerance."Photo Credit: The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine
Waves cycle in the ocean. Photo by
Gen Xers and Millennials share 17 of the strangest things their Baby Boomer parents do
"My mom writes her emails in MS Word, then attaches the Word document to the email."
A Baby Boomer couple.
Generational fights have raged since the dawn of time, and a recent spat between Millennials and Baby Boomers is no exception. Baby Boomers, who raised Millennials, accuse the younger generation of being entitled and irresponsible with money. At the same time, Millennials accuse Boomers of having it easier economically while making it harder for those who came after them.
Where is Gen X in the battle? Probably off in the corner somewhere, saying, "Whatever." Aside from the generational sniping, there are some things the older generation does that are just plain baffling to younger people. Whether it's outdated worldviews, a refusal to adapt to modern technology, or a lack of self-awareness, Baby Boomers can do some strange things.
To help the younger folks get over their frustrations with parents from the "Me Generation," a Redditor asked: "What is the most Boomer thing your parents still do?" The stories were pretty funny and relatable, showing that almost everyone with parents over 60 is dealing with the same thing.
Here are 17 of the "strangest" things people's Baby Boomer parents do:
1. Phones on full blast
"Play iPhone slot machine games at full volume in the doctor’s office."
"My dad pretty much exclusively has his phone on speaker, and just walks around in public talking with it at max volume (and talking really loud himself). I’m like 'Dad, the entire supermarket doesn’t want to listen to you, and Uncle Jim complains about how often you have to pee.'"
2. Still using checkbooks
"My mom balances her checkbook every week. They still have a landline."
"And she probably has way more money than you will until she dies!"
3. Email issues
"My mom writes her emails in MS Word, then attaches the Word document to the email."
"Like the email is just the virtual envelope for the digital letter."
4. Restaurant jokes
"All those little restaurant comments.
'Wow, they'll let anyone in here!' when seeing a friend at said restaurant.
'Thanks for having us, not everyone will' to the waiter at the end of the meal.
'As you can see, it was terrible' when the staff takes away the clearly entirely eaten plate.
'You're going to have me floating away in a minute' when more water is put into their glass"
5. Always have to mention race
"Constantly mentioning the race or ethnicity of everyone she mentions. Never with any negative connotation or comment, but usually, there is no reason for it to be relevant to the conversation."
"My Jewish mother will always whisper the word 'black' in case anyone hears her: 'So the nice black man at the hardware store helped me find the right garden hose.'"
6. Googling their Google
"Typing Google on Google before they Google the thing they’re looking for."
"In the Google search bar, they type Google? Lol."
7. Getting a job is a cinch
"Believing you can walk into a business and hand in a resume. If you have a college degree in any field, they'll hire you."
"Just physically hand over your resume to HR or the hiring manager. You'll make a mark and get hired!! Call the office and ask to speak to HR/Hiring Manager."
Any Millennial who argued with their Boomer parents about how hard it is to land a good job should feel vindicated by a 2022 study, which found that most older Millennials didn't secure good jobs until their early 30s, while most Boomers did so in their 20s. "To secure a good job, young adults need to acquire more education and high-quality work experience than was necessary for previous generations," the researchers wrote.
8. Why are they together?
"Stay married forever while they behave like neither one of them can stand each other."
"I'm on the other side of that. After my mom passed, my dad now acts like their marriage was picture perfect and they were the love of each other's lives, even though they couldn't stand each other for at the very least 40 of the 54 years they were married."
9. Collectables or hoarding?
"Think their 'collectibles' are truly valuable."
"My mom insists her Hummels are going to put my kids through college!"
"Mine are the Thomas Kincade paintings. She has a Victorian glass piece that might actually be worth something, but those damn paintings are the real investment."
10. Can you grab the mail?
"Ask me to bring in the mail when they go away for more than 24 hours."
"My parents think everybody is standing at the door waiting for the mailman every day, and don’t believe me when I tell them that some people go days without checking their mail. They think everybody is waiting for the mailman every day because 'somebody might send them a check.' Like, really?"
11. Zero responsibility
"'Well, I guess I was just a bad father.' Yeah. That attitude of anti-responsibility is exactly why 3 out of 4 of your children don't talk to you."
"Ha! Have the same dad, do we?"
12. Comment on people's appearance
"Comment on EVERYBODY’s body/appearance/weight. The first thing my dad does after not seeing me for a year is poke me in the gut and tell me how fat I am."
13. Boomer panic is real
"Literally throwing their hands up in a panic when they don't understand something. Where did they learn that?"
"Or just saying 'well, I don't know', especially when that comes right after you explaining it and showing them how to do something, with them nodding along and asking relevant questions all the way through."
In a video by YourTango, editor Brian Sundholm tried to explain Boomer panic in an empathetic way: "Most of us nowadays know the importance of recognizing and feeling our emotions." Sundholm then quoted therapist Mitzi Bachman, who explained that when people struggle to express their emotions, it can result in an "unhinged" reaction.
14. Annoying Facebook posts
"Post nonsensical rants on Facebook for other boomers to like, share, and comment. Often these rants are political, but not always. Basically cringe-fest."
"Most people won't do it, but share this post if you believe in god and freedom."
"I do NOT give Facebook permission to use my photos and personal information!"
15. Dinner pushers
"While we're eating breakfast. What do you want to do for supper?"
"Can't we enjoy this meal without worrying about the next?"
16. They print everything
"My boomer in-laws print EVERYTHING! The number of times I have said, 'quit wasting ink, email it to me, or text me the link. Or just text me the schedule, don't print it out.' GPS on their phones? Nope...print a map."
"Boomers and their paper man. My dad has finally started using the internet, but he still prints everything he likes. Like he'll see a boat listing on Craigslist and print the entire page, including a massive color photo of it, and he's definitely not going to be buying it either. He's got a stack of papers that is the internet that sits by his recliner. He just sits there with Fox News on (though it's usually muted for some reason, that's a plus) and looks at his papers."
17. Flirting with servers
"My dad is 77 still flirts with the young waitresses. It's f**king weird for everyone."
"He thinks he is in cute old man territory, but he is not."