ElleSpeak

This small bird, who wears a jaunty streak of eyeliner, puts her head down, cocks up her short little tail, and hops, hops, hops along, picking up and dropping, over and over again, a wounded grasshopper until it finally ceases to move. After finishing her lunch she bounces along the top of our patio fence, jumps down to the first horizontal board and disappears between the two layers of fence posts. She runs along between the two layers, stopping to peek out through every other opening.

She’s a beautiful little clown, and the sight of her and the rest of her family playing hide and seek on our fence, or flying under our awning to rest on a cushion of our outdoor furniture, always brings a smile to my face, and an “Awwww!” to my lips, and to my heart. I find her antics to be irresistible. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing inside I have to stop and watch and watch and watch. Delightful!

Our small backyard has been blessed by the presence of Carolina wrens at our birdfeeder and on the patio. I love watching all the birds, but this year these little wrens have stolen my heart. I’ve known wrens in the past, but our patio is so small and our birdfeeder is so close that I’m seeing much more of their personality than ever before.

I turn to one of my favorite books “Animal Speak” to see what Ted Andrews has to say about wrens. His book about the beliefs of Native Americans and the spiritual and magical powers of creatures great and small is always interesting and fascinating to me.

When a creature shows up in your life in a special way it’s good to know more about that creature so you can understand the message it brings to you. I’ve heard that birds are willing messengers for spirit, and I believe it’s true.

This little bird is bold, resourceful and adaptable, building its nest in most unlikely places. I once had a wren make its’ home in the wreath hanging on my front door! My marriage of 37 years was coming to an end at the time and I was wondering how and where I would find myself living. The nest of the wren tucked away in the wreath reminded me that I needed to be bold, to adapt, and to use the resources that were available to me to make a new home and a new life that would suit me perfectly. I was grateful for the wisdom she shared with me, and it helped me to find the strength I needed to move forward.

A Native American tale speaks of the little wren who tricked the boastful eagle into carrying it far into the heavens, until the eagle could fly no higher. That’s when the wren hopped off the eagle’s back and flew up and beyond the clouds, laughing at how much higher it was flying than the eagle ever would. I love this story because no matter how small you are, being clever can be a match for brute strength any day.

These birds are powerful little spirits, unafraid to confront any threatening bird or animal who tries to intimidate them, and they boast strong voices, singing their sweet song from dawn to dusk. Their courage and their song inspire me to find my own voice and to boldly sing out, knowing my song just might make a difference in someone’s life. We never know how our words may affect others, especially if we never share them.

If you are seeking the courage to make changes in your life, or to sing your own song more boldly, gather your resources, look to the inspiring messages this little bird brings, and sing out!