Frankie the flamingo got me thinking

Whenever we say bye to our kids, my husband, Sam, and I always say “make good choices, learn everything.” Good choices are great, but what about brave choices?

I know it’s going to seem like I’m going way off topic with this story about Frankie the flamingo, but just bear with me. Frankie is a flamingo which disappeared from a wildlife sanctuary in Cornwall and flew over 200 miles with clipped wings to the south of France.

Frankie was born at the park in July and was the first chick to hatch from her nest and be reared by her parents. However, on Sunday 2 November of this year, 2025, she managed to fly off from Paradise Park. Staff from the sanctuary searched the area and responded to local sightings of the young flamingo. But despite their best efforts, they couldn't find Frankie anywhere. Then, out of the blue, a sighting of a bird, meeting Frankie's description, was reported in Brittany in northern France over the weekend.

Frankie was born to loving parents and has siblings. She had everything a flamingo could ask for - caring park staff, a beautiful habitat, regular feedings, and no predators. While this all sounds amazing, Frankie also lived in a small world. The park staff clipped her wings to keep her on the property, to keep her world small, to keep her safe.

Frankie wanted more. If Frankie had Spotify, I’m guessing this is the moment she would be playing Reba on repeat singing ‘Is there life out there?’ at the top of her little flamingo lungs. Frankie didn’t care about the comforts of her home or the uphill battle her clipped wings would present, she wanted warmer weather. She wanted the beaches of France. She wanted a bigger life.

A combination of determination and luck is what finally allowed Frankie to take flight. She was trying her hardest to fly when a storm came through and the high winds gave her the push she needed to take flight. It’s important to remember that she was raised in captivity. She doesn’t know what the ‘real world’ is like, and everyone around her is worried about her safety. A spokesperson for the park said, “It was never our intention for Frankie to end up in the wild. There are a number of reports of similar situations where flamingos have lived for many years and thrived, including over European winters, so while we will continue to worry about her, it is a position we have to accept.” The spokesperson went on to say, “We are confident that her movements will be observed and logged in France by the citizen science members, and feel relieved to know that she has shown the resilience and skills that will serve her well as a ‘wild’ flamingo.”

That phrase “resilience and skills that will serve her well as a wild flamingo” got me thinking. What made Frankie different from the other flamingos? Why didn’t Frankie want to stay in her little bubble? And the most important question of all, how can I make brave choices like Frankie?

Multiple times a day, I second guess myself about building Wanderwing. I have built a successful career as a non-profit professional. I have a fantastic life with everything I need. What compels me to add more to my already very full plate?

What compels me to make sure Wanderwing takes flight is the same thing that compels to volunteer as a Girls on the Run coach, lead my daughter’s Girl Scout troop, raise money for Goodwill of North Georgia, show up for my friends and family, and so much more. It’s a deeply held belief that we all have gifts to share. While Frankie has Reba on her playlist, I think about the Monty Python and the Galaxy Song, “remember when you're feeling very small and insecure how amazingly unlikely is your birth.”

Just like Frankie flew 200 miles on clipped wings, we already cleared our biggest hurdle when we were born. We have an obligation to pay it forward in the universe by making our community a better place. So, what will you do today to be more like Frankie?

People will worry about you. They will tell you you’re doing too much. They will ask ‘why?’ and ‘how do you have time for that?’ But you know that you have put in the work to be a wild flamingo, and it is your duty build resilience in future generations - future wild flamingos.