My fine feathered friends
Life is waiting around the corner to reveal its miracles and its beauty to us. You don’t have to go far to look, but you must look with the intention to see – really see.
One of my greatest sources of entertainment in my life right now are my feathered friends. The little beauty in the photo is one of those miracle moments for me. You have heard the sound bite, “Grow where you are planted.” Not sure who said this, but this wisdom is a constant reminder for me to look down and see where I am standing and ask myself, am I grounded? And then tune inside and ask, what do I need in this moment? And then check in with my heart and wonder, am I present to the beauty of this now moment? Now my presence is palpable and I find joy right where I am. The now is always about JOY!
The only time I need something other than the moment I am in is when I forget that all my needs are met here, now and always. I spend a lot of money on feeding my feathered friends to observe them daily. It’s an investment in my mental sanity. Being present to another life form reminds me of my humanity and calls me to live in right-relationship with all of life.
These little beauties have antics and personalities and as I become familiar with them through my observation of them, I realize that the richness of life has nothing to do with money or the acquisition of possessions or accomplishments. As these little beauties display themselves right before me, my world is full. What more do I need other than a sense of wonder?
At first glance, one might think that I have spent money on food and feeders because I am trying to care for these creatures, but this investment is so much more about my inner joy and satisfaction, they happen to benefit. And by the way, wherever birds eat, they also poop, which means I had to start parking my car further down the driveway because they poop a lot. It’s all worth it.
As I was recently sitting with a friend for lunch, one of those red-spotted-lantern bugs came to our table – we were sitting outside. I picked up my napkin and gently brushed it away. (I know we are supposed to kill them, but that wasn’t the time or place.) My friend reacted quite strongly with fear. Suddenly I remembered how I, too, used to fear all bugs and especially spiders and I, too, had gross reactions to them.
But my journey to understand how I am one with all that is has caused me to look differently at everything, every person, and every living creature. I now revere life in new and glorious ways. I do want to recommend a book, albeit a bit different and unorthodox, which supported my desire to love all of life, all of nature, and to surrender my fear in order to embrace the gift of all that surrounds me. Kinship with All Life, by J. Allen Boothe is a must read if you want to retrieve lost moments of joy. Look around you, you are surrounded by beauty in the most unexpected places.
