Free as a Bird

There are so many things I love about birds. Their colorful plumage, their sweet-joyous song, their unsatisfiable curiosity, but the thing I love most is their ability to fly.

I discovered the magic of birding this past summer. Sure I would spend countless hours in front of my window watching them eat fruit from my ripened trees, but one of my favorite things to do was to go outside and watch them fly. How free it must feel to be up in the sky with the breeze on your face watching the world from a view point we humans can only see in a confined airplane. I was envious of them as I sat there worried about bills, children, pets and all of the other responsibilities I have.

I fantasized about flying away with them to a majestic lake where I would perch right beside them on an old oak tree. The bright sun would warm my face, the ripples of water would entice my ears and all of the burdens that weigh down my soul would magically disappear. Yes, if I were to ever die and come back, a bird it would be for certain.

But then I got to thinking. Birds do indeed worry just like us human folk. While they are free to fly, that does not mean they are free of daily responsibilities. They cannot just fly freely all day as they need to find food, water and shelter. They are tasked with nesting and taking care of their young to ensure future generations to come. I guess no living organism is free when you think about it.

But they are free in a sense that many people fail to appreciate. They do not obsess about material things because all that they need is right there beside them. The birds are not held hostage by cell phones, blackberries and task lists because they live for the current moment and what it is they need to do now instead of next week. The birds still live by the rule of nature, not by the rule of man who always seem to complicate things. That is what makes them free I suppose.

I think I will try some of that myself this weekend and join the birds. I may not be able to fly along side them with the breeze in my hair and the sun on my face, but I can certainly try.