What can fly backwards, has wings that beat up to 80 times per second, has the smallest eggs in the world, can fly from full speed to an instant stop and built a nest on my front porch? If you guessed a hummingbird, you are correct. A beautiful momma (the way my daughter spelled it when she was a little girl) hummingbird wove an intricate nest on the wind chime on my front porch. It was a tiny gift which delighted and brightened my spirit each morning while I prepped and stained my house.
Photo by slc
Norma K. wrote in a blog post at Woot & Hammy, “Hummingbirds, in their seemingly carefree and happy flight, remind us to live in the moment and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Also, because they often seem to appear out of nowhere, they remind us that joy is unpredictable and can often be just around the corner.”
Devoted, momma sat on her nest and only left the nest to eat. I gave her plenty of space for a couple of weeks so I did not scare her away. Then, she allowed me to work staining pretty close to her nest once. She was becoming used to me. I began posting photos on Facebook of the two baby hummingbirds after they hatched. They were a tiny gift; smaller than a dime at first.
I chronicled their growth via photos. A bench in the entryway allowed me to get up to their level without much interruption.
Then it was time for them to leave their overcrowded nest. The larger of the two took the courageous attempt of flight first. Unbelievably I was there to witness and capture it on video.
My cousin Kevin commented in a post that it must be a sign when he saw the hummingbird photos on Facebook. So I looked it up. Norma K. reports, “Hummingbirds have a long history of folklore and symbolism in native cultures. The Aztecs saw them as messengers between them and their ancestors or the gods. In Native American culture, hummingbirds are seen as healers and bringers of love, good luck and joy. In Central America, they are a sign of love and will bring love to the person who spots them. While there is no direct mention of hummingbirds in the Bible, they are sometimes considered to be a messenger from Heaven, gently nudging us to move on and release the burden of people or things that have passed and can no longer be a part of our lives. Some people also see them as signs from Angels, reminding us to follow what makes us happy and to enjoy the present moment.”
Two days later, the smaller baby bird took its chance at flight but with not as much grace as his sibling. He feel to the ground, gathered his composure and tried again. He made it out to my birdbath where he could bask in the sun. Then another unbelievable thing happened. Momma came back. She affectionately greeted her young child.
Not believing what I had witnessed over the last several weeks, I couldn’t help but to look back at the little woven home perched on the wind chime. It was now an empty nest. While I was sad to be an empty nester, literally, again, I was also thankful for the beautiful and tiny gift I was given.
What do hummingbirds symbolize to you?
…hummingbirds are a reminder that our happiness lies within us.
Norma K.
Footnotes: Today, while sitting on my deck reading Louise Penny’s A Rule Against Murder, a hummingbird came out of nowhere buzzing right up to my face as if to say hello before flying off. I wonder if it was one of “my” baby hummingbirds? I want to think so.
(Note: This blog post was originally written in 2020 but I forgot to publish it. I found it recently. Sorry about that!)