Hummingbird

We have hummingbirds in my backyard!  And yes, in southern California we have hummingbirds year round, but this year we have a nest with tiny babies in it right outside of our patio door.  So this litte hummingbird family has become a pleasant distraction from our uncomfortable feelings while sheltering at home during a pandemic.  The Animal Medicine card book describes the hummingbird as a symbol of joy.  It says that hummingbird feathers conjure love and can open the heart.  It says that hummingbird asks us to "Drop our judgemental attitudes and relax" (Carson and Sams 214).  I really needed to read that today, I have been experiencing a lot of feelings during this quarantine.  I know its not news to anyone, we are all feeling a lot of the same things.  Part of the difficulty about staying home in a large family is finding solitude.  The exact opposite of people alone are experiencing.  And don't get me wrong, I'm a very social person normally, I love people and visiting, but I counter balance that with solitary time.  During my solitary time I process my ideas, it's essential to my creative practice.  Sometimes I wonder if the experiences we live are supposed to give us some kind of insight into ourselves. Is there some universal power guiding me towards enlightenment?  So admittedly I've been feeling a bit judgemental of people I'm quarantining with and I think that is not really making things any easier for me.  So dropping that a bit today.  I'm just going to watch the hummingbirds and make some more art.

Carson, David and Sams, Jamie.  Medicine Cards.  Santa Fe, Bear & Company, 1988.