There's this thrush in my garden
Connecting with joy
It’s dark outside, the street lights still weakly illuminate patches of the inky early morning. I slip through to the kitchen keeping all the lights off to make my morning brew. A challenge in the dark. I’m trying not to wake my aging girl, Lottie Pops.
Opening the fridge door to retrieve the milk, I allow myself a minute of the cool blue light to try and gauge just the right amount of milk for the perfect colour for the best brew of the day. That rich warm toffee colour. Enough to move past the orange shade and yet not too much to end up in wan territory and a ruined brew.
And then . . .
After the ‘drama’, the cool light now extinguished, I gather up my writing books and pen and my perfect brew. Tip-toeing across the cold floor past Pops bed. I made it! I listen to her contented snores and then, sharp and clear, whistling through the air comes the call of a thrush.
He’s back! My thrush, because of course, he’s singing just for me!
He has the most amazing song, so tuneful and bright and full of inflection. His voice illuminates the faint morning light so much more beautifully than the street lights. He sings his heart out.
Connecting with joy . . .
Standing there on that cold kitchen floor in the gloom of a January morning, I feel a connection to that little bird.
He is telling me a story. A bright joyful story of the joy a new day brings. He tells me he is singing for his love and that he will raise a family of little thrushes to sing their hearts out and brighten our days. He will sing for hours proclaiming his gratitude for his life and the opportunities it will bring.
The joy I feel in that moment lifts my heart. I feel it taking flight and connecting to that little bird outside in my garden
I love this thrush, he makes my heart sing. And my heart is full of gratitude for his return.
I hope you enjoyed reading my first ever post here on Substack ...
I have so enjoyed writing it and I am so happy to be here. I can’t wait to share more with you and talk to you. To connect and share our thoughts and experiences of those small but magical moments in life.
I am looking forward to the Big Garden Birdwatch of 2024. This will be my third year. Will you be taking part? Let me know in the comments. Let’s chat . . .
Lovely piece of writing Susan. I love your early morning 'noticing'. It's a lovely time of day to catch little glimmers before the day starts isn't it. This is where the magic is. We have a lot of birds in our garden and I'm certain they sing just for me when I venture outside first thing. I feel inspired to write something myself now xx
I enjoyed your first piece Susan - so quietly beautiful.