Whenever I feel the world is getting difficult, perhaps far too difficult for me to face, I seek out courage. One of my sources of courage is watching birds. It sounds strange, but birds constantly fight to survive. Despite their small frames, vulnerabilities, and adversaries, they continue to thrive.
When I was a child, there was a man named Forrest, who lived in a small cabin and fed his birds on a stand right outside the kitchen/dining room window. The large window was clear to the throngs of the birds who arrived to a tableau of suet and birdseed. Forrest and I would laugh and talk, sometimes not talking at all, while we watched the birds. I was happy eating my cheese and crackers, the special kind of cheese that you had to squeeze out of a nozzle. Forrest bought them especially for my visits. I loved visiting with him.
Whenever I get discouraged, or worried, or frightened, I remember those birds, Forrest, and I look at the new birds around me. They fight for survival and live brightly…so how can I not do the same?
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