Preparing for a Successful Migration
For some reason, we have fickle hummingbirds. Some of our friends put up hummingbird feeders and have plenty of “customers” all summer long. That’s not the case with us. We have a few at our feeder in the spring when hummingbirds first start appearing in our part of the world and then they disappear. Actually they disappear only to reappear much later in the summer or very early fall. I don’t understand, but that is the way it is for us.
As I’m typing these words, we once again have hummingbirds. It is a joy to watch them. They are amazing creatures. Thanks to a comment made by Donna the other day, they can also give me something to really think about.
I’m not too sure how many hummingbirds we have around our house. One reason for that is that it is kind of rare to see them in one place. Our feeder has more than one “station,” but I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen more than one using it. In fact, very often, the feeder is not being used at all even though birds are flying around.
A common scenario is for one to be making its way to the feeder only to have another one scaring it away. This happens time and time again. Along with that, when one hummingbird actually does make it to the feeder, another one often scares it off.
A few days ago, when some of this was happening, Donna made an observation that I don’t remember verbatim. I do, however, remember the gist of it. Her observation was that, if “our hummingbirds” would quit behaving in that manner, they would discover that there is plenty of food for all of them. All of them could get the nourishment they need.
I’ve been thinking a lot about that for the past few days. My thinking has not been about birds I’ve been observing. My thinking has been about the guy who’s been watching the birds.
Could it be that I am so busy making sure that I have access to what I need that I am keeping both myself and others from living an enjoyable, fulfilling life? Would my stress level be much, much lower if I would change some attitudes and behaviors along this line? Do I view other people as competitors in this thing we call “life?”
It is my understanding that, at about this time of the year, “our hummingbirds” are preparing to migrate to locations in Mexico, Central America, and South America. They are needing to “load up” on nutrition and actually exceed their normal body weight because their migration takes them nonstop across The Gulf of Mexico. There are no landing or “refueling” stops. Each bird will need all of the nutrition it can get. Any competition minimizes a successful migration.
Does that sound familiar? Someday each of us will “migrate” to a new location. Whether or not that migration is a success or failure may be determined, at least in part, by how we treat others.
It is my prayer that all of us are preparing well.
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
