Weary Wings

This bird had seen better days. He (or she, but I'll stick to he) looked bedraggled and weary with his thinned tail feathers and drooping wings. I saw him at the Tucson zoo one day. Amidst the flamingos and other exotic foul, this plain, local bird landed on a rock, and stood there, sagging.

At the moment I took this photo he looked towards me. I laughed when I saw the result because his slightly peeved expression seems to say, "Yeah, what of it?"

I think he drank from the pond, then continued to stand there looking dazed. Did he get into a fight with a cat? Maybe a larger bird smacked him around for a bit? Or maybe he journeyed from a far and distant place.

Most likely, he was only a city park bird worn by the daily grind of surviving in a city park. The zoo must be a pleasant change of scenery surrounded by bright pink, bow legged creatures standing in calm water.

Of course, I'm projecting human thoughts, emotions, and story onto this bird, but he reminded me of weariness. You know, that feeling that creeps over you when you've been fighting "to survive" day in and day out. The sense that even taking one more step or breath even, will do you in, and you honestly don't really care. Like this bird portrays in the photo, your strength is sagging and you feel a bit peeved, maybe at other people, or God, for your situation.

I've been there. I've walked with friends who were there. I think any creature that has a heartbeat knows that cloak of weariness.

This bird dropped down into the flamingo pond enclosure and rested. I think we can learn from him and choose rest for ourselves. For him, his journey to a place of rest didn't require money or a completely exotic locale. He probably just flew twenty feet from the park trees over the wall of the zoo and onto the rock.

My analogy is stretched to the breaking point, but I know to stop there and that is the key for restoration. If you are in a place of weariness. STOP. Rest doesn't require that you change jobs or move to Tahiti or have a spa massage every day for a month. While those things may help, rest is a daily choice. You can incorporate it into the fiber of your being.

Do you choose to stop worrying and fill your mind with thankful thoughts one by one? Do you choose to be present in the moment with your loved ones, or be content alone with your thoughts? Where nearby can you go to fill your eyes with beauty even for a moment? Do you really need to push yourself hard to make so much money when the more restful choice might be to go without some convenience for the sake of your sanity?

These are questions I often ask myself when stress mounts and I start to feel exhausted. Humanity in general has a tendency to strive forward until we have no choice but to rest, or die. To avoid that heavy weariness, sometimes all it takes are daily, intentional emotional, physical, and mental choices to make rest a natural rhythm in our life.

In some ways, that is what this blog is about. Each of the days when I write about funny stories, deep thoughts about God or bedraggled birds, post colorful photos, or give ideas for play, it is my way of injecting a bit of rest into the world. It is restful for me to craft these posts, and if it gets you to rest and reflect even just for the time it takes you to read them, then I consider it a little crack in the wall of chaos.