The last few weeks
have been full of new beginnings where I live . . .
robins arrived
and have built a few nests around our property.
We’ve been keeping the garage doors closed during the nesting season
because the mother bird has been finding our grass spreader
irresistible for nesting and raising young ones.
We were unable to use it in the spring for three years
because of that.
This year
she chose a spot tucked nicely away
on the baker’s rack on our back porch,
where she built a nest,
and laid four perfect, turquoise eggs.
It’s perfect,
except that she flies off scolding us
whenever we go outside,
whether it be by the back door
or the side door.
The eggs hatched last weekend,
and today,
for the first time,
I could hear their hungry little voices
calling for food,
eyes still closed,
their impossibly tiny, yellow beaks held wide open.
In the katsura tree,
the wrens have been fluttering around,
singing their little hearts out,
and are in the process of building a messy little home
inside a bird house I have provided.
They are very cagey,
and it would frighten them too much
if I intruded
and poked my nose in the door of their home,
so I give them space and admire them from afar.
Cagey too,
are the phoebes,
and their nest is too high for me to see into,
so I just check now and again
to see if someone is on the nest . . .
their home
is the most beautiful of all,
lined with soft, flexible fibers,
and decorated on the outside
with an elaborate display of moss and lichens.
That they have returned
after a tragic event a few years ago,
(the nature of which I do not know,
but the hatchlings died,
and the parents disappeared)
fills me with joy,
and I look forward to watching the flying lessons begin,
once the little ones are old enough.
Seeing these new lives beginning
fills me with a kind of peace . . .
a sense that ”God’s in his heaven
and all is right with the world.”
With all of the horrible,
heart-wrenching things that are going on in the world
these little birds
are simply going about their business
unencumbered by the burdens we humans carry.
Soon
these little birds
will all fledge
and fly out into the world,
and until we pollute the world too much to be restored,
they will carry on their legacies
from one generation to the next,
all with an inborn knowledge
of how to survive.
I am grateful
for how they do not fear new beginnings . . .
these small creatures
teach me how to be strong
and how to persevere
in the face of a changing world.
Thank you, Sparrow. I love watching the birds as well. We had a very unfortunate incident with Carolina Wrens making a nest in our tent canopy over our patio. I knew it was not a sturdy enough spot, but they persisted. And then I heard the baby chirps and would watch momma come and feed them. One morning, it was quiet out and I didn’t see momma. I went to check the nest and found 3 tiny little babies laying on our patio. I left them for a bit to make sure the parents knew, but then I buried them and placed the nest on top with some flowers. I sobbed the entire time, but I later looked up the meaning of finding what I did and found a little hope in the universal process. I still felt terrible for the babies who never got the chance to fly… and their parents. I wonder if they grieve or just go about life?
I can say yes to spontaneity: yes, you can have some ice cream, son, why not? Ok, you can stay longer at the playground, but then I don’t feel like cooking anymore, let’s just have some mozarella and tomatoes.
I don’t need to bend to my own rules all the time, I can take life a little easier and give myself and others grace. Let’s see where this new beginning takes me.
Many wonderful comments about how each day is its own beginning–yes!
I’ll choose a specific beginning of sorts, although it’s more an evolution. I’ve been taking improv classes with a teacher I really like and joined the troupe she and others formed. (First performance next Wednesday!)
Last night after class the instructor and I went to a nearby spot for some very garlicky French fries and beverages and just talked as friends about our lives and how we relate to others in the world. At one point she said how much she appreciated having me as a friend. Me too! When we moved to this town five years ago I hoped I wouldn’t only form friendships through work, and improv has opened the door to people I likely never would have met otherwise. I could have taken other classes, met other people–this is the serendipity that led to this new friendship.
I like to say that serendipity is what happens when we’re paying attention. Any moment offers the possibility of a new beginning depending on how we approach it and what we’re open to. I was open to new friendships and there they are!
A new chance to strive to nurture Connection with every thought, word, and deed. I also have a chance to pay attention to what it is that leads me to sometimes feeling alienated instead of connected. Curiosity. I am feeling pretty connected today, so maybe that won’t come up, but I am going to try to remember to get more curious the next time I get in an alienated mood– what brought me here?
I also wanted to comment that I am feeling extremely grateful today for the gift of a good night’s sleep. I am so fortunate at this point in time that I usually do sleep well, but a few nights ago I did not sleep well at all, and one thing I noticed was that it was harder to feel like the morning was a “new beginning” when I did not sleep well the night before.
I have been heavily involved with the care for my husband. Last night I spent 3 hours with some friends. We had a lovely supper, then a few stayed to play Bunco. I laughed and relaxed a bit.
My new (recommitment) beginning is to take conscious time for me and be grateful that it is needed, it can happen and enjoyed.
Every morning is a new beginning. I don’t yet know what flavor the day will take. Every day is different, by a little or by a lot. I’m grateful for all those variations that will feed me new ways of responding, of acting, of thinking.
I am grateful for this new day that I have been gifted. Each new day is an opportunity to do better than the day before. I am thankful I get to “begin anew & create all that is good”, Louise Hay.
Peace & Love to All….🕊️🩷
I don’t see myself beginning anything new today but I am recommitting myself to my physical therapy exercises. I have been inconsistent in performing them since leaving supervised PT therapy.
Cheering you on in doing consistent PT, Carol. The exercises can be so boring, but as I’m sure you know, it really does work magic after a while, when you keep it up. I’m so grateful for PT for helping me avoid shoulder surgery and also get back into running, which I would’ve thought impossible about a year ago.
Maybe I’m not feeling very grateful this morning.
Because I’m not finding anything new that’s beginning. Of course, I’m grateful for the beginning of this new day. It seems like nothing is truly new.
Things may be new, again. I guess that would be renewal. I am grateful for that. A second (or third or forth…) chance.
A new day full of grace is given to me by God. A new day with my family in Vietnam. A new day with the possibility of the internet connection that allows me to call and talk to Loc, even though we’re currently apart. Wishing everyone a day full of love and joy. 💐
I, too, am grateful for this new day. Each new day we are blessed to wake up to holds possibilities, which makes me think of Mary Oliver’s Morning Poem:
Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange
sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again
and fasten themselves to the high branches–
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands
of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails
for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it
the thorn
that is heavier than lead–
if it’s all you can do
to keep on trudging–
there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted–
each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,
whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.
Thank you, SunyPatti for posting the poem. It offers me the choice to see with new eyes today. Plus Oliver uses one of my favorite words: “trudge”. I was first introduced to it in 12-Step literature.
A new beginning I’m grateful for is how I’ve evolved during the last 9-10 days without Ngoc right by my side. Based on some of my answers, I’m resembling more of the Dallas Mavericks who beat the Miami Big 3 Gods in the 2011 NBA finals. There’s nothing wrong with LeBron forming a superteam in Miami, but “The Decision” was a huge mistake. Not only did Cleveland hate him, but the league and other teams used his superteam building to take him down. He said that he was going to win “not 1 not 2 not 3 not 4 not 5…” championships. He only has 4 up to this point. Dallas, led by 1 big in Dirk Nowitzki, knew about it and used LeBron’s tactic against him and humiliated the Heat in those finals as LeBron had a meltdown for the ages. It goes to show that humility wins. Not going alone doesn’t mean joining your buddies.
I define not going alone as trusting the resources that are right there. Avoid separating from the root. A life lesson from “The Decision” and its aftermath is that family is always greater than friends. I thank Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks for teaching a valuable lesson throughout the playoffs that year. Dirk and the Mavs sure maximized their role players that year like: Jason Kidd, Sean Marion, Tyson Chandler, and JJ Barea. I remember coming in predicting an easy Heat victory like the rest of us.
Unpredictability is the beauty in sports. Basketball is the most obvious with scores quickly changing by every 1-3pts.
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The last few weeks
have been full of new beginnings where I live . . .
robins arrived
and have built a few nests around our property.
We’ve been keeping the garage doors closed during the nesting season
because the mother bird has been finding our grass spreader
irresistible for nesting and raising young ones.
We were unable to use it in the spring for three years
because of that.
This year
she chose a spot tucked nicely away
on the baker’s rack on our back porch,
where she built a nest,
and laid four perfect, turquoise eggs.
It’s perfect,
except that she flies off scolding us
whenever we go outside,
whether it be by the back door
or the side door.
The eggs hatched last weekend,
and today,
for the first time,
I could hear their hungry little voices
calling for food,
eyes still closed,
their impossibly tiny, yellow beaks held wide open.
In the katsura tree,
the wrens have been fluttering around,
singing their little hearts out,
and are in the process of building a messy little home
inside a bird house I have provided.
They are very cagey,
and it would frighten them too much
if I intruded
and poked my nose in the door of their home,
so I give them space and admire them from afar.
Cagey too,
are the phoebes,
and their nest is too high for me to see into,
so I just check now and again
to see if someone is on the nest . . .
their home
is the most beautiful of all,
lined with soft, flexible fibers,
and decorated on the outside
with an elaborate display of moss and lichens.
That they have returned
after a tragic event a few years ago,
(the nature of which I do not know,
but the hatchlings died,
and the parents disappeared)
fills me with joy,
and I look forward to watching the flying lessons begin,
once the little ones are old enough.
Seeing these new lives beginning
fills me with a kind of peace . . .
a sense that ”God’s in his heaven
and all is right with the world.”
With all of the horrible,
heart-wrenching things that are going on in the world
these little birds
are simply going about their business
unencumbered by the burdens we humans carry.
Soon
these little birds
will all fledge
and fly out into the world,
and until we pollute the world too much to be restored,
they will carry on their legacies
from one generation to the next,
all with an inborn knowledge
of how to survive.
I am grateful
for how they do not fear new beginnings . . .
these small creatures
teach me how to be strong
and how to persevere
in the face of a changing world.
Thank you, Sparrow. I love watching the birds as well. We had a very unfortunate incident with Carolina Wrens making a nest in our tent canopy over our patio. I knew it was not a sturdy enough spot, but they persisted. And then I heard the baby chirps and would watch momma come and feed them. One morning, it was quiet out and I didn’t see momma. I went to check the nest and found 3 tiny little babies laying on our patio. I left them for a bit to make sure the parents knew, but then I buried them and placed the nest on top with some flowers. I sobbed the entire time, but I later looked up the meaning of finding what I did and found a little hope in the universal process. I still felt terrible for the babies who never got the chance to fly… and their parents. I wonder if they grieve or just go about life?
How sad,
dear Sunnypatti . . .
I may be a silly anthropomorphic woman,
but yes,
I believe they grieve . . .
and then move on with their life. ♥
I think I’ll be a silly anthropomorphic woman with you.
Same here.
I do find joy watching the winged beings. Thank you dear Sparrow.
Me too,
dear Joseph . . . ♥
I can be grateful for the new beginning I feel is on the horizon.
I can say yes to spontaneity: yes, you can have some ice cream, son, why not? Ok, you can stay longer at the playground, but then I don’t feel like cooking anymore, let’s just have some mozarella and tomatoes.
I don’t need to bend to my own rules all the time, I can take life a little easier and give myself and others grace. Let’s see where this new beginning takes me.
Many wonderful comments about how each day is its own beginning–yes!
I’ll choose a specific beginning of sorts, although it’s more an evolution. I’ve been taking improv classes with a teacher I really like and joined the troupe she and others formed. (First performance next Wednesday!)
Last night after class the instructor and I went to a nearby spot for some very garlicky French fries and beverages and just talked as friends about our lives and how we relate to others in the world. At one point she said how much she appreciated having me as a friend. Me too! When we moved to this town five years ago I hoped I wouldn’t only form friendships through work, and improv has opened the door to people I likely never would have met otherwise. I could have taken other classes, met other people–this is the serendipity that led to this new friendship.
I like to say that serendipity is what happens when we’re paying attention. Any moment offers the possibility of a new beginning depending on how we approach it and what we’re open to. I was open to new friendships and there they are!
I love how that happens,
dear Barb . . .
finding a new friend
by serendipity.
Years ago,
I met a best friend in a laundromat. 🙂
ps. Break a leg at your first performance with the troupe.
Thank you, Sparrow!
Good luck on your performance, Barb. Those french fries sound delicious.
They were, Loc!
A new chance to strive to nurture Connection with every thought, word, and deed. I also have a chance to pay attention to what it is that leads me to sometimes feeling alienated instead of connected. Curiosity. I am feeling pretty connected today, so maybe that won’t come up, but I am going to try to remember to get more curious the next time I get in an alienated mood– what brought me here?
I also wanted to comment that I am feeling extremely grateful today for the gift of a good night’s sleep. I am so fortunate at this point in time that I usually do sleep well, but a few nights ago I did not sleep well at all, and one thing I noticed was that it was harder to feel like the morning was a “new beginning” when I did not sleep well the night before.
I have been heavily involved with the care for my husband. Last night I spent 3 hours with some friends. We had a lovely supper, then a few stayed to play Bunco. I laughed and relaxed a bit.
My new (recommitment) beginning is to take conscious time for me and be grateful that it is needed, it can happen and enjoyed.
I’m with you here,
dear Yram . . . ♥
Yes, Yram. In order to assist others, owe must tighten up our own oxygen mask first.
So glad you had this! Friendship time can restore the soul.
Every morning is a new beginning. I don’t yet know what flavor the day will take. Every day is different, by a little or by a lot. I’m grateful for all those variations that will feed me new ways of responding, of acting, of thinking.
I am grateful for this new day that I have been gifted. Each new day is an opportunity to do better than the day before. I am thankful I get to “begin anew & create all that is good”, Louise Hay.
Peace & Love to All….🕊️🩷
Thank you PKR.
I don’t see myself beginning anything new today but I am recommitting myself to my physical therapy exercises. I have been inconsistent in performing them since leaving supervised PT therapy.
Cheering you on in doing consistent PT, Carol. The exercises can be so boring, but as I’m sure you know, it really does work magic after a while, when you keep it up. I’m so grateful for PT for helping me avoid shoulder surgery and also get back into running, which I would’ve thought impossible about a year ago.
Maybe I’m not feeling very grateful this morning.
Because I’m not finding anything new that’s beginning. Of course, I’m grateful for the beginning of this new day. It seems like nothing is truly new.
Things may be new, again. I guess that would be renewal. I am grateful for that. A second (or third or forth…) chance.
A new day full of grace is given to me by God. A new day with my family in Vietnam. A new day with the possibility of the internet connection that allows me to call and talk to Loc, even though we’re currently apart. Wishing everyone a day full of love and joy. 💐
My Ngoc, look forward to talking to you tonight as usual.
I, too, am grateful for this new day. Each new day we are blessed to wake up to holds possibilities, which makes me think of Mary Oliver’s Morning Poem:
Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange
sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again
and fasten themselves to the high branches–
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands
of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails
for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it
the thorn
that is heavier than lead–
if it’s all you can do
to keep on trudging–
there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted–
each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,
whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.
I’m so glad you all love the poem, too. Mary Oliver has such a lovely way with words.
This site would not load last evening. I now know why. So I could read this lovely Mary Oliver Morning Poem in the morning! Thank you Sunny Patti.
Ohhh, thank you for this.
Beautiful poem, thank you Sunnypatti. I’ve never read this one and I really like it.
Thank you Sunnypatti for sharing Mary Oliver’s poem, Morning. Her words are music to my ears.💚
Thank you, SunyPatti for posting the poem. It offers me the choice to see with new eyes today. Plus Oliver uses one of my favorite words: “trudge”. I was first introduced to it in 12-Step literature.
Thank you,
dear Sunnypatti,
for posting this poem by Mary Oliver,
whose work I love . . .
so fitting
for such a day as this. ♥
A new beginning I’m grateful for is how I’ve evolved during the last 9-10 days without Ngoc right by my side. Based on some of my answers, I’m resembling more of the Dallas Mavericks who beat the Miami Big 3 Gods in the 2011 NBA finals. There’s nothing wrong with LeBron forming a superteam in Miami, but “The Decision” was a huge mistake. Not only did Cleveland hate him, but the league and other teams used his superteam building to take him down. He said that he was going to win “not 1 not 2 not 3 not 4 not 5…” championships. He only has 4 up to this point. Dallas, led by 1 big in Dirk Nowitzki, knew about it and used LeBron’s tactic against him and humiliated the Heat in those finals as LeBron had a meltdown for the ages. It goes to show that humility wins. Not going alone doesn’t mean joining your buddies.
I define not going alone as trusting the resources that are right there. Avoid separating from the root. A life lesson from “The Decision” and its aftermath is that family is always greater than friends. I thank Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks for teaching a valuable lesson throughout the playoffs that year. Dirk and the Mavs sure maximized their role players that year like: Jason Kidd, Sean Marion, Tyson Chandler, and JJ Barea. I remember coming in predicting an easy Heat victory like the rest of us.
Unpredictability is the beauty in sports. Basketball is the most obvious with scores quickly changing by every 1-3pts.
for this new day which just begun, for the next breath which is, for the sun just appearing. Wishing a lovely day to all.
Each moment is a new beginning.