Humming Birds

350 species. Weighing less than an ounce. Hearts that beat 1,260 times per minute and wings flap 15 to 80 times a second. A 6,000 mile migration south for winter lasting 18 hours as they fly over the Gulf of Mexico. No where to stop or feed until they reach shore. The males have the colors. Brilliant incandescent. Red. Purple. Blue. Yellow. Green. Midst the trees and the grass they dance, twirl, sing, flutter their elaborate wings, and do break neck dives at 60 miles per hour to attract their mates.

How can creatures so small so delicate survive the brutality of nature? Fragile because they require so much fuel just to stay alive that if they don't hibernate at night when the temperatures drop they could die in their sleep.

I wish we all were like humming birds. Gentle and luminous. We might have less war. Greed. Cruelty. We might learn to dance and hum. Live harmoniously. Simply. With an unparalleled purity.

Humming birds understand the brevity of existence. The joy of flight. The delicious nectar of flowers. They are a marvel to behold and an example to follow if we are truly committed to making our lives more meaningful and worth living.


(c) 2010