This morning, I welcomed the day along with the birds…long before the sun showed an interest in this side of the world.
Not wanting to rustle the stillness from our otherwise sleepy house, I decided to do my meditation before anything potentially disruptive occurred.
At some point during meditation, a bird in close proximity to our house was engaged in a call and response with a bird some distance away–a sing-songy back and forth to one another in the darkness. It went on for quite some time, each one taking their turn to sing to the other about their excitement for the coming day.
It put a great big smile on my face to recognize their exuberance to express themselves—to express their aliveness in the one way they definitively knew how—through their song.
We are a lot like those songbirds—that is, when we step out of our own way and allow our inner nature to shine. We find our voice, mustering up the courage to sing alone in the dark…and somewhere along the way someone sings back, because they, too, cannot help themselves but sing…and there we are, together, awake for life and happy to find some company along the way.
I have found the journey to be much more joy-filled when shared with the company of those who understand or yearn to understand our song. It inspires and carries us through the darkest of nights and celebrates with us in the brightness of day.
Perhaps the sweetest music ever made is found in the call and response of friendship.
Image: Origami Singing Cardinal by Folded Wilderness
The Tortoise and the Hare