Today as I went on a morning walk I was overcome by spring.
It was a feast of the senses. The crisp morning air found it’s way deep into my lungs. It was like an internal spring cleaning.
The sky was a bright blue canvas with white feathers scattered randomly.
I saw a robin!
One of my favorite things about spring is the sound of the birds chirping, as if to say “Hey guys…we’re back!” When I was little we had a contest in my household every year about this time. Who would spot the first robin? Between the ages of four and nine this was a big deal. I would actually sit at the window and inspect the many trees that made up our backyard. Robins are a sign of hope. Their sheer presence tells us that the cold, dark winter is over.
I even saw a long wriggly worm slowly making it’s way across the sidewalk and taking a page out of my childlike husband’s book, I stopped to inspect it a little closer.
Those things are weird!
I realized as I walked that I was being captured by wonder and awe.
Kids have this down. Ever try going on a walk with a two or three year old? It’ll be a while. They find so many wonderful treasures.
(Photo from Kristin La Flamme’s Blog)
I am guilty, as are many adults, of often moving too quickly to notice the feathers up above, the squirmy and icky worm, and the music of the birds.
I’m glad I slowed down.
[tags]spring, robins, clouds, worms, slowing down[/tags]
I probably shared this story last year at this time, but I never tire of it (unlike my son, who is the object of the story and is subjected to my reminder of it every year :D ). When he was about 6, he came running to me very excited, saying, “Mom, Mom come and look! The most beautiful bird!” I looked out to see a red-winged blackbird, a dime-a-dozen in my estimation. But as he proceeded to draw my attention to the bright red wing, the yellow underwing, the blue-black feathers, I saw that he was truly right. A beautiful bird indeed, that God had sent us as a harbinger of Spring. It took the eyes of a child to make me see. So every year, when I see the first red-winged black bird (March 19th this year) my son gets a “Spring Has Sprung” message from me :)
What a cool story!! I’ll never look at red-winged blackbirds the same.
Kids teach us so much!