Don’t Forget the Joy

Many years ago, my father built us a bird feeder. It sat in our storage building in the back yard for years. My husband kept telling me that we needed to put it up. I was reluctant.

There are many things that have been gifted to me that I just don’t use because I don’t want them to become what I refer to as “wrecky”. My dad made that bird feeder with his own hands in the basement of the house our family lived in and I wanted it to stay nice forever.

What I failed to recognize all those years was that he didn’t just give us a bird feeder, he was also giving us joy. We missed out on all that joy for years because of my stubborn desire to keep the bird feeder pristine.

My husband finally talked me into putting it up this past summer. I decided to put it near the small yellowwood tree in the back yard. I thought that would give the birds somewhere to wait if the feeder was occupied, and we could see it from all the windows along the back of the house.

When we put up the feeder, the birds didn’t come for a few days. Then we had one bird. The next day, two. Within a week, we had dozens and oh, the joy it has created!

We’ve seen cardinals, bluebirds, chickadees, red-headed woodpeckers, blue jays, sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, mourning doves; the list is endless.

What a show we get every day. Birds in the feeder, birds on the ground, birds waiting in the yellowwood for their turn to eat. They even wait on the roof of the house or the little tool building out back. It’s absolutely joyful!

Growing up, our family had one of dad’s bird feeders in the back yard. It was thrilling to see all the different birds that came to feed and to watch their comings and goings.

I also remember a feeder that looked like a sunflower attached to the house outside the dining room window. It was (of course) filled with sunflower seeds. I remember the thrill my dad got when, one day, he discovered an evening grosbeak at the feeder.

I’m so glad we finally put that beautiful bird feeder to good use. It has been such a happy addition to our yard and to our life. Nature is so soothing and healing. I can sit outside and watch the birds for hours.

And now, I look at gifts in a whole new way. I’ve started using them knowing that if they wear out, it’s ok. The real gift is the joy and the pleasure it brings and that will stay with me forever.

~~~