Joy

Shamanic traditions believe that we should pay attention to animals that appear to us repeatedly as they are carrying special messages for us.  This was in the back of my mind when hummingbirds kept reappearing in my herb garden. According to Ted Andrews in Animal Speak, hummingbirds remind us that joy is an essential element of life and that it is up to us to find that joy in each situation.

Recently, my daughter and I went to Ikea—my first experience. After hours spent in the vortex of the Ikea showroom we emerged only to discover that we had to proceed to the warehouse to pick up the pieces that would soon resemble the bed and dresser we purchased. I was outraged that we had to find these boxes by identifying rows and bin numbers in a cavernous warehouse and then load and haul away the heavy boxes. Outrage was a clear indication that my ego was about to take control, so I took a deep breath and consciously escorted my ego from the forefront of my mind to the background. With my ego safely tucked away, the absurdity of the situation—my daughter and I trying to load heavy boxes of wood onto a flatbed cart with wheels that seemed to move away from us with each effort to load it—caused us to go into fits of hysterical laughter. We had a choice—we always have a choice—to go the route of resistance or acceptance. My ego was resisting. Acceptance opened the door to the possibility of joy and, as hummingbird teaches, the means “to extract your own nectar.”

Hummingbirds can fly backward and in so doing suggest that we too can reflect on and draw joy from the past as well as the present. Hummingbird tells you “to grab joy while you can—as quickly as you can.” In most situations, if we can put away our outrage we can find the joy—or at least a reason to laugh. Andrews concludes, “hummingbird is a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible. It will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances.” May you find the joy in your life, and may you always find a reason to laugh.