About five years ago my husband and I noticed a great flock of robins take to our yard in February just after there was a snow, some what like this past week.
They were every where and then we began to see that they were swarming the holly tree. Now our holly tree is no bush. It is a 100 foot tree standing guard at the foot of our driveway and they had filled it. They dashed through the green leaves devouring the bright red berries and littered them across the snow and over everything else including the cars. They were there for perhaps a day or two. They completely stripped the tree of its berries and then were gone. Quite a sight.
We looked for them again over the ensuing years and they never returned. We thought it was an unusual phenomenon - a sign of some kind. We did't know. I've read religious tracts about this being a sign of God's abundance. I've read scientific opinions that this is what migrating Robins do for food when all the "good" berries are gone - flocking to the bitter holly berries as a last resort. But we never did see them again, the brilliant energetic frenzy of a two or three hundred red birds in our yard. Not until this week.
Suddenly all our waiting "bore fruit" so to speak. The robins were once again dive bombing the Prius with berry rind and filling the yard with the flutter of wings. Our patience has paid off. Perhaps next year they will visit someone else's holly tree, but this year they were back with us for a brief moment of lively color.
Such is my hope for the return of a more friendly political climate; hope that this young generation raised on inclusion and multiculturalism will lead us out of the darkness of isolationism, xenophobia and regressive thinking. Patience will bring about a new season. We can't have the light without the dark. We can't have the return of the robins until the berries grow back.
Patience, patience and fortitude.
They were every where and then we began to see that they were swarming the holly tree. Now our holly tree is no bush. It is a 100 foot tree standing guard at the foot of our driveway and they had filled it. They dashed through the green leaves devouring the bright red berries and littered them across the snow and over everything else including the cars. They were there for perhaps a day or two. They completely stripped the tree of its berries and then were gone. Quite a sight.
We looked for them again over the ensuing years and they never returned. We thought it was an unusual phenomenon - a sign of some kind. We did't know. I've read religious tracts about this being a sign of God's abundance. I've read scientific opinions that this is what migrating Robins do for food when all the "good" berries are gone - flocking to the bitter holly berries as a last resort. But we never did see them again, the brilliant energetic frenzy of a two or three hundred red birds in our yard. Not until this week.
Suddenly all our waiting "bore fruit" so to speak. The robins were once again dive bombing the Prius with berry rind and filling the yard with the flutter of wings. Our patience has paid off. Perhaps next year they will visit someone else's holly tree, but this year they were back with us for a brief moment of lively color.
Such is my hope for the return of a more friendly political climate; hope that this young generation raised on inclusion and multiculturalism will lead us out of the darkness of isolationism, xenophobia and regressive thinking. Patience will bring about a new season. We can't have the light without the dark. We can't have the return of the robins until the berries grow back.
Patience, patience and fortitude.
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