Monday, December 7, 2009

Re:Finding moments of beauty in unexpected places

Yesterday evening, right before 5pm, I was driving home after spending a lovely afternoon having tea and catching up with an old friend. As I pulled into a major intersection, before heading the the highway, I looked up in the sky to see this HUMONGOUS flock of birds--I'm not a birder so I don't know what kind they were, but I'd guess some kind of lark or starling or swallow--a small bird who has been known to swarm. Because really, that's what they were doing--hundreds upon hundreds of these birds were flying together, flowing and undulating in odd patterns, but all the while hovering above the sky of the intersection--seemingly to land on a large tree in a corner lot. The light was blessedly long--not something I normally say or feel when waiting at an intersection, but I was enraptured by the image of these birds dancing in the sky, circling and circling against the setting sun.

It was beautiful. A random and unexpected moment of pure pleasure. I offer this to you because it reminded me that we don't often take the time to contemplate pure beauty when it's in front of us. And that this kind of pure beauty can happen in the most unexpected of places--like an intersection in the middle of traffic. It is a good reminder that we should be open to these moments that can take our breath away and make us smile with childish delight.

1 comment:

macon d said...

Yes, I've seen that too! Thank you for the reminder.

Probably starlings. Here's a video of a group of them, avoiding a hungry falcon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8eZJnbDHIg