In today's day and age, it is so easy to get wrapped up in work, technology, television, and things that are unproductive or even catastrophic to the human psyche. Many people, including myself, are so ridden with stress, anxiety, and worry on a regular basis that it is difficult to always enjoy life. But if anyone out there is like me, I have coping mechanisms, or gentle reminders, that life is not as hectic as my mind can sometimes make it out to be. I tend to be moved by simple things, like freshly bloomed flowers in the spring, the sound of ocean waves crashing on the beach, and the different smells that the air takes with the changes of seasons. I also love the sound of birds, singing and chirping to each other like they have not a care in the world. The birds are my gentle reminder that life is, in fact, good.
Growing up, one of my favorite things to do on a weekend morning in the spring or summer was to sit out on the deck eating breakfast and listening to the birds sing. I would watch them fly to and from the bird feeder, taking in all the different types of birds and marveling at the beautiful colors that certain ones had. I liked to wonder what they were saying to each other. Sometimes I would actually be woken up by the birds singing in the trees outside my window at the first sign of daylight. Though it may have been early, I always enjoyed hearing their cheerfulness. It was as if they were giving praise and joy for the new day. It reminded me that I, too, should be happy that I have been given a new day. Today, with the demands of having kids and lacking the quality sleep I had growing up, I am not as much of a morning person as I used to be. But I still don't mind hearing the birds first thing in the morning. They might wake me up prematurely, but the beautiful sounds are so soothing that I simply can't be mad at them. When I am outside, I love watching the birds fly around playfully, so carefree and happy. Yet their lives could be considered just as hectic, if not more, than my own. They must build their own nests, find their own food, protect themselves and their offspring from predators, and fly south for the winter. I read a book in which the author used birds as an example of how we as humans should not worry so much in our lives. She said that birds don't know where their next meal is coming from, yet she had "personally never seen a bird sitting on a tree branch having a nervous breakdown due to worry." (Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind) I laughed when I read this because I pictured a bird having a nervous breakdown, but I stopped laughing then I pictured myself having the as the frazzled, anxious person that I can be. Why should I be so anxious when I have all my needs provided for me? Why shouldn't I be as carefree as the birds, enjoying every minute of the day and singing a song of joy?
Every time I hear birds sing, I am reminded of all the blessings I have in my life and the beauty that surrounds me. They are my gentle reminder that the best things in life are the simple things, and that even if I may not know what lies ahead, there is still reason to rejoice.
What is your gentle reminder?
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