A startling whoosh of the magnificent hawk as it takes flight, its powerful wings flapping strong and steady, ascending, until a gentle gust pulls it up, and with wingspan fully extended it gracefully glides across the sky, scanning the landscape.
Suddenly, I’m keenly aware of dozens of birds around me: a cardinal couple engaged in a mating dance on the branches of the bare crape myrtle; a blue jay silently watching from its perch on a neighboring tree; mourning doves poking around in the grass, picking up scraps of seeds that others have cast out of the feeder; and tiny sparrows flitting in and out of the bush at the edge of the flower bed.
How often I take for granted these amazing creatures who every day put on a most awe-inspiring show of natural performance. Taking a few moments to ground myself, I take a front row seat to the spendor that lie before me. Watching. Still. Surprisingly peaceful. Fulfilled. And wondering. What would it be like to be a bird? I know I have often wondered that in times past but haven’t thought about it much lately.
What would it be like to be so free? So unencumbered, shifting direction with effortless maneuverability and graceful movement. I wonder if my world view would change if I had a birds-eye view. No mortgage to fret about, no relationships weighing heavy on my heart, no baggage from the past, no worry about tomorrow, no politics to scream about, no fear of our world’s future. Oh, how I could love being a bird!
“The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.”
― J.M. Barrie, The Little White Bird
Copyright © 2014 Michele Truhlik. All Rights Reserved.
Angels Bark 
Love today’s post. I got my pilot’s license in college and it made me feel as close as I can get to a bird’s life. Things really do look different from up there with nothing to worry about but the wind.
Visiting from the A to Z Challenge. Thanks for visiting my blog this morning.
http://mongoosechatter.blogspot.com
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Pilot’s license: how exciting!! Thanks for stopping by Robbie! Love your A-Z music concept: you’ll have to come back tomorrow: my post is going to be C is for Concerts. 🙂
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Oh, what a beautiful description! Loved the video, too. I’ve never seen a real “bird’s eye view” before, so thanks for including the video!
I’ve often thought about being a bird. I can fly in my dreams, when it’s a good dream, and when it’s a bad one, I can’t get off the ground!
A hearty welcome to the A-Z Challenge from this co-host. I wish I could read all the posts in your series, but I have to visit as many of the 2100+ blogs as possible…egads! I hope you have a good Challenge!
Tina @ Life is Good
A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014
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Thanks Tina! You are going to be very busy, no doubt. Thanks for all your hard work in co-hosting and organizing. I hope you’ll come back to visit soon. This A-Z is so much fun! I’m glad you liked my post. How cool that you dream of flying! Have a great month. See you around the alphabet…
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How timely! When I walked out of the house this morning, I looked up at a tree a few houses down and from where I stood, was an enormous crow sitting at the very top, that cawed almost as if it felt me watching it and I thought how wonderful it must be to be a bird and have that view. If you could be any bird, which one would you be?
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Wow, that IS crazy timing! Love that! Ya know, I’ve never thought about what kind of bird I’d like to be. One that lives a long time for sure. I’ll have to ponder that. Eagle or owl is my first gut response. But did you see the 2nd video with the Gos Hawk (the ground flyer)? THAT would be so stunning to be able to soar through those tree trunks like that! Good question!! That will have me thinking for a while…
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I did but I’m afraid of heights so I had a hard time watching all of it lol! Interesting choices for birds–great ones actually.
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Great post btw 🙂
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Thanks Renata!
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Greetings,
Yes, it’s me, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! 🙂 And the birds doth fly. Freedom of flight, of thought. If only humans could find the freedom and understand the lessons that birds, that all creatures wish to share. Our unconditional, non-judgemental love, tis a wondrous ambience.
Penny, the pawsitive host of the Alphabark Challenge, 2014!
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Amen to that, Penny! Love the “modest internet superstar” comment! 🙂 Yes, wouldn’t it be wonderful if humans were capable of unconditional love. But, bless their hearts, they just aren’t. That’s what dogs are for! And I’m so grateful to be unconditionally loved by several dogs. Maybe you too Penny?? Of course, that’s a given, right? Thanks for stopping by! PS: what’s the Alphabark Challenge?? I might need to enroll a few of my guys in that…
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Wow. This is beautiful and calming, the perfect first blog post to read for those of us starting late. It allowed me to fly above the would be problems of the moment. Thanks for that little bit of beauty and lovely words and video too.
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Oh how wonderful! Thank you for sharing that with me!! I’m honored to have had that effect for you. I’m headed to “your place” right now. Thanks so much for stopping by.
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Love this – love the feeling and visual perspective and the thoughts of being free. And love the videos – what a great idea to include those. This is great! 🙂
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Thanks Lynn! You’re the best!
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I agree. Your post reminds me how much we humans are so busy and often with worry that we often miss the simplest things in life.
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So true. I try to take a little time outside every day just to watch, and marvel, at the birds and squirrels in my backyard. So worth it, even for short bits
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I love this post 🙂 – to be free. That quote is going to stay in my mind – about faith being our wings. THank you 🙂
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Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be free Bavani?! I’m so glad you like my post! Thanks for much for saying so. 🙂
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