It's Friday. I sat in the car this morning praying before going in to work. It's been a stressful week and I realized I'd been leering through a very stressed filter.
After praying, I took a deep breath, let it out, and opened my eyes. Across the parking lot, a flock of pigeons huddled on a roof. They were finding shelter from a cold, wet wind. And they were busy being pigeons, hawk-stretching and Jagger-fluttering.
I am very thankful for urban birds. I know, most people find pigeons, dove, grackles, sparrows, and starlings to be nothing but nuisance. But I'm learning.
It's no good to yearn for nature all the time living in a suburb or city. These birds who thrive alongside us bring nature to town. No, they're not (very) exotic, but watching a grackle placing acorns in the road to be smashed by cars or witnessing a sparrow pair reusing and recycling our castoffs into a cozy place to raise a family, well, it's better to me than anything I've heard David Attenborough narrate because I am there, I am a live witness. I've always liked music better live, and now I'm realizing that tiny snippets of nature in person satisfy the soul in a way that footage of grandiose nature on film never will.
Get out and watch a bird (or bug, or bunny, or prairie dog) soon. See if it's not a better thing than your big-screen tv or that yearning for a mountain that's six hours away.
May your prayers for peace be answered, even if the answer is smaller than you expected. Breathe deep and well, friends! (Happy Friday!)
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