I've always loved hummingbirds. They start to appear in early spring and they quickly remind me of the lazy days of summer, when I sit on my porch with a cup of tea to watch them flitter about, often battling one another for a drink of nectar at one of my many feeders.
I'm never alone when I relax on my porch with the hummers. Either my husband, or one of my teenage boys or a friendly neighbor, joins me for the spell-bounding quiet of our little nature preserve. The tiny feathered creatures buzz around us as we share the stories of our days, our pasts and our futures. These moments of calm, in the middle of summer, under the shade of our maple and birch trees, are my favorite. There is no rush to plan a lesson, grade a paper, answer a phone or check off another item on my to do list. I can just sit, and observe and talk with those who matter the most.
In September, shortly after school starts, the hummingbirds leave for the season. It's always a sad goodbye for me. I know that the days will get shorter, the light will lessen, my life will become more chaotic and the hummers won't be back until spring. Despite the sadness I feel when my flying friends leave, I hold on to the fact that spring (and the hummingbirds) will come again.
For me, "holding on" for spring is the equivalent of hope. Through the dark days of winter, challenging days in my profession or times that seem so distant from the quiet stillness of my time under the birch trees, I find myself reminiscing about those summer days. It is those summer days that fill me with hope.
And, today, I had the most beautiful reminder of the hope that I hang on to, when I found this little hummingbird nest in the same tree that I seek solace under on a hot summer day. It's interesting to me, because this nest has been there all along, but I only discovered it today. Reminding me, once again that HOPE has been there the whole time.
I'll continue waiting for the hummingbirds to arrive, as well as the longer days and the quiet calm of summer. Until then, I'll keep an eye on this little hummingbird home in hopes of spotting its new residents when they arrive in April.
Hummingbirds seem to arrive a little later where I live. I often don't see them until summer. I love sitting on my deck watching them feast on the flowers on my Rose of Sharon bush. Those are definitely lazy stress-free evenings. Enjoy your hummers! Welcome to the challenge!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I just googled Rose of Sharon! How pretty!!
DeleteOooh, Kristen, I looovve this post! I loved the title as soon as I saw it, I love your vivid descriptions of hummingbirds (I could absolutely see and hear them flitting around you as I read), and I love the way you connect the return of the hummingbirds with hope. We've been lucky with this mild Feb, so I haven't struggled as much as most winters, but all the little signs of spring that have started to pop up have nevertheless carried that magical glimmer of hope for me too. A beautiful slice!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jennifer! Any glimmer of hope we can get helps! :)
DeleteYour writing is beautiful and your voice shines! I honestly don't know if I have seen a hummingbird nest. I may have to do some investigating. Maybe one has been here and I jsut haven't noticed. "Reminding me, once again that HOPE has been there the whole time" is such a postive outlook.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first nest I've seen in person! I'll definitely keep a close eye on it this spring!
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