A few years ago I was in a place of solitude. It was good for me because for the first time I could hear the truth of my own soul without the intrusion of noise from other souls. There was an apple tree in this place of the dark night of my soul and one season when it was in full bloom, I met a kindred spirit.
On a dew soaked morning I put on my shoes, preparing to go for my daily run through the woods, when I heard a sound which can only be detected in the silence of early wakefulness: The beating wings of a hummingbird no bigger than my palm. He was to my left and so close I could have touched him without extending my arm very far. He hovered there for a long moment, looking me directly in the eye. There was something about the way he looked at me that was eternal. Then, without warning, he zoomed away. He returned again the following day and every day after that. By the end of the week his entire family was with him and I can never express the sheer brilliance of the experience.
Many cultures believe that we have an affinity to certain creatures and to one in particular. The belief is that you share it’s attributes or qualities and to deny it is to stunt your spiritual growth. If this is true, then that little hummingbird and I have a lot in common. I understand their quick flitting in and out of places and the urgency with which they search for nourishment. I know innately why they get close enough for you to feel familiar but bolt when you wish to capture them. They are mercurial and yet at the same time full of purpose in their random jittery movements. Often, this is how I write my stories. In quick bursts with sudden changes occurring during the process. Back and forth and off to the side in a sequence that is confusing, yet a pattern of my own creation. If I’m honest, I’ve lived my life this way. It’s my nature and I may not appear to make sense but in the end I get there. Experiences for me are like nectar to that hummingbird. It nourishes my creativity and imagination, the life blood of all writers, artists, musicians and poets. I bet if you look deeply enough you’ll discover what it is that embodies your nature and in so doing, understand yourself a bit better.
