When You Can't Fly, Hop

As fall begins to encroach on the last of summer days, I’ve been trying to get out in nature as much as possible. One of the places where I enjoy taking in the outdoors is a small deck outside of our bedroom. We’ve created what I call my “mini sanctuary” with a couple of chairs and a little table and a water fountain. It’s an area of our property that is pretty isolated from neighbors and it has lots of bushes and trees. We added several hummingbird feeders as well.  I delight in spending time out there reading, writing, or just contemplating life. Visitors consist of deer, squirrels, rabbits, all kinds of birds and sometimes even my husband.  Spending time there increases my well-being and peace and gives me time to just breathe. 

Lately I’ve noticed a flicker hopping about on the ground foraging for bugs in the grassy area off of the deck.  Flickers are common in our neck of the woods. They’re a type of woodpecker and in the spring, they like to peck incessantly on our metal chimney in an attempt to attract a mate. They can’t be deterred from their goal, so we just have to tolerate the loud pounding echoing down the chimney until a female answers the call. 

When I first saw him, I didn’t think much of his search for food amongst the grass and bushes. But day after day, there he was, still on the ground. He would occasionally hop up a tree trunk, but never flew away. One day he came quite close and I could see that one of his wings appeared damaged. I hoped it would heal so he could migrate to the trees, but he’s still grounded. I am not encouraged about his future as a normal flicker with fall and then winter setting in. If he isn’t caught by the neighbor’s cat, his food source will dry up in frozen ground. 

In observing his behavior for these many days, I am struck by his survival instinct and resiliency. After the course of his natural life changed, he did what he had to do. He found a way to live with what he had been handed. He found places to take refuge from predators and he waits for the sprinklers to bring bugs to the soil’s surface. He has not given up and seems determined to survive.

I realize I’m talking about a bird here. Not a huge brain; doing what his instincts and hunger tell him to do. But perhaps there is a lesson for us from a flicker. We are handed all sorts of challenges in life and have a choice about how we will respond. I had a bout with cancer 18 years ago and was pretty amazed at how strongly the survival instinct kicks in when you are faced with potential varying outcomes. I had the choice to be overwhelmed and fearful about the future or to take one day, one option, one treatment at a time. There were some residual long-term effects from that experience, but having survived, they seem small to deal with compared to the alternative. 

We all have choices about responding to the foggy days in life when our flights get grounded. That flicker is taking one meal, one challenge at a time. All he knows is to continue to hop. We can determine to put one foot in front of the other and deal with one challenge at a time, too. It’s far easier to see the sun rising each day if we don’t block it out with the cares of life and  worries about the future darkening our perspective. So, keep hopping. That broken wing may heal, or we may learn to work with what we have left. And don’t forget to wait for the sprinklers.