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Lessons from a Snow Bird

Little Toes Point the Way

By Chris Dunmire, CurrentLiving.com

A new, thick blanket of snow covered Northern Illinois yesterday. Spring arrived three weeks ago. Two weeks ago I wore shorts outside. And it flurries lightly as I write now.

The spring season was clipping along quite nicely for the last few weeks. Landscapers untarped their tools and were out and about in droves around these parts. Lawnmowers came out of garages and kids rode their bicycles on the sidewalks. A new energy of buzzing growth began to fill the air.

I was ready for a truckload of topsoil to be dumped in my driveway so I could begin creating my first ever flower and vegetable gardens. I was fully thawed from winter and ready to embrace Spring in all its budding glory.

And then the snow swiftly swooped in and froze all of these plans.

I noticed mother nature had something different in mind when I looked through my front window early yesterday morning while it was still dark and noticed the grass was not green. If I put on Christmas music, it could have easily been December. It was as if someone pressed the rewind button and took us back to the beginning of the year.

Even after driving in the thick snowy slush and sweeping off my car twice yesterday, I have to admit that I secretly like the new snow. My topsoil will arrive on time and I'll have plenty of opportunity to play with my new gardens. I can only go with the flow... go with the snow!

This morning when I raised the blinds on the front window, my eye immediately caught one of the most precious sights. On my front porch a light dusting of pure white snow covered a portion of the stoop. And in the snow were little whimsical bird footprints with three toes each walking towards my front door. I was immediately filled with delight at this little surprise from a delicate creature who was too dealing with this new change in the weather.

So tickled, I retrieved my camera, opened my front door, and captured a moment in time that was undeniably gifted to me. Yes, I found the silver lining in an unexpected snow storm from a little precious bird accepting "what is" and living its life completely despite the new circumstances thrust upon its little world.

As I sit here in the warm comfort of my home sipping on a hot cup of morning coffee doing the work that I love, I'm again reminded of all there is to be grateful for. And today I thank that little bird for showing me that joy can be found and felt in any season, rain or shine. And it is found even in the smallest details of life expressing itself, including in the imprints of a little bird hopping in the snow, leaving its tracks behind as a testimony of its own life.

How wonderful it is that a little bird can teach me. •

© 2007 Chris Dunmire, CurrentLiving.com. All rights reserved. (04/12/07) Please do not duplicate this article elsewhere without my permission.

About the Author | More by Chris Dunmire
Chris Dunmire is creatively engaged in life as an artist, writer, humorist, and publisher of the popular Creativity Portal Web site. She's trained as a creativity coach with Eric Maisel, Ph.D., and Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching founder Jill Badonsky. Chris develops Web-based projects and playbooks to encourage creative thinking, artistic expression, and imaginative play in people of all ages. Learn more about Chris's books at CreativeSlush.com.