Aired Sunday, May 5th, 2013
Watching the congregation of birds in the back yard, I celebrate these creatures as talismans, blessings and messengers.
In winter I watch the congregation of birds orbiting the feeders. Now, in the spring, the winter residents have flown north, and the year round residents are building nests. Shy bluebirds have inspected the nest boxes, but these already have been claimed by sparrows. I understand the elderly man at the bird seed store who grows his own mealworms, treasured offerings for his beloved bluebird friends. Why am I so enamored with these soft-skinned, feathery creatures? Perhaps I am drawn by a secret longing to fly. I also revel in their flashing colors and rich cacophony of songs. Most of all I appreciate that birds come unbidden. We come and go freely, the birds and I, and that sovereignty sanctifies our commonly shared territory.