Unwinding with today’s prompt🌷

One of the simplest pleasures in my life is the quiet joy of watching and listening to the birds right outside my balcony. Every morning feels like a fresh invitation, usually starting with the brilliant flash of the first blue jay after winter or the cheerful, familiar hopping of a red robin, and I love the common sound of the doves cooing in the pine trees nearby.

I didn’t always know how to truly listen, though. I first learned the beautiful art of bird watching and listening from the children at the Montessori school where I used to work. They had this wonderful, innate connection to the world around them. They would tug at my sleeve and whisper, “Quiet, so you can listen to the different sounds of the birds.” There was so much wisdom in their hushed voices, teaching me to slow down and just be present.

Ever since those days, that habit has stayed with me. Whenever I walk through the woods in my area, I find myself passing that exact same sense of wonder down to my daughter. I’ll glance at my daughter, gently press a finger to my lips, and say, “Shhh, listen… did you hear that?” Sometimes she rolls her eyes but still indulges me.

I’ll never forget the day we heard a woodpecker together for the very first time; the sharp, rhythmic drumming echoing through the trees felt like discovering a hidden secret. I quickly recorded the sound on my phone, eager to hold onto that perfect little moment forever.

Although I lost that recording with my old phone, the memory remains perfectly clear. Sitting on my balcony or walking through the woods reminds me that life’s greatest gifts aren’t material. They are the quiet, joyful moments shared with loved ones, listening to the earth sing through the birds and letting the stress melt away.

Happy listening to the birds this spring! 🐦🦆

Thanks for reading.💖