March 2004

March 04

During this transition from winter to spring it is still possible to focus on the joyous revelry of a robin’s morning song. His “cheery” “cheeriup” rings clear through the moist air, not yet competing for sound space with the cacophony of spring migrants. It’s worth a listen.

Common, ordinary, easily identified, and thus, easily overlooked, the robin’s song is beautiful nonetheless. Like the face of a loved one or the feel of a trusted companion’s fur, the early morning music of a robin is a sensory experience worthy of our attention. Extra-ordinary – not in the sense of “outside” the realm of everyday experience, but the ordinary experienced.

Soon the exuberance of spring will surround us – a cornucopia of song from birds, a feast of color from flowers, the intense sensory pleasure of warm sunshine on the skin. But during the transition of March we have an opportunity to narrow our view. We have a chance to focus simply on a few commonplace pleasures. Time to revel in the ordinary.