Rest.
That was the message I received from the hummingbird.
I have a special relationship with hummingbirds. I know a lot of people do as well. My grandmother comes to me as a hummingbird. When I see one, I stop and see what it does. I follow its flight pattern.
Today, as I was walking through the gardens near my house, this hummingbird stopped on a branch in a tree and perched there for three minutes. Just stood still.
And if you know hummingbirds, they are in a constant state of motion.
I feel like that a lot too — always moving and doing something. My value is tied to how much I can do. And that belief isn’t always beneficial. Today, I would get this belief challenged as I watched this bird.
I stood there watching the hummingbird rest. It didn’t move, and I didn’t move. I knew it was telling me to rest.
I hadn’t been feeling well, but I was pushing myself to do my regular activities. I waited for the bird to fly away, but it didn’t. I felt like it looked at me at one point from its perch in the apple tree.
My grandmother was sitting there, telling me to rest.
I couldn’t believe it. After three minutes passed, I said, “I get it. I will rest. Message received.”
And I walked away.
The hummingbird won the resting competition. It was still on the perch as I walked away.
And then the next day — boom — I woke up with a sore throat and runny nose. I was fighting something. I was forced to rest.
As I sit here resting from my physical activities, I am reminded to also rest from mental activities as well. I need to focus on healing and getting better. And the best way to do that is to rest and take care of myself with water, good food, medicine, and sunshine.
So that’s my plan.
My vow is to incorporate more rest breaks into my life. Rest will help me do more. It’s counterintuitive, but true for me. I need to take breaks and breathe during the day.
All this from a hummingbird.
Thanks, Grandma.
