A Blackbird shows the way

It’s been a long time since I blogged and it’s thanks to my lovely friend in Altea, Sara for reminding me that I should write as life has changed so much and I hope that my stories will encourage others to face their worries and concerns and move on. So here is a blog that has just been inspired by the winter weather here in the UK – and its not the one I was going to write today!

I’ll start by thanking friends for borrowing their pictures from Facebook. Thanks Neil Crick and Terry Morrison, both pictures help me in this blog.

It’s an unexpected cold morning with trees covered in a perfect frosting and the grass smoothly covered by the fresh driven snow. My plans for today have to change and with it I feel a freedom from doing the ‘have to’ to being able to do the ‘wanting to do’.

Last night Russ and I talked about being caught up in the treadmill of having to work, to have the things that are expected of you, when you live and work in the UK. It’s been so easy to fall into the trap of work, meal, TV, bed.
Todays frost has given me the chance to stop and think!

There is still a ‘have to do’ and that’s some painting of a cupboard. It’s contents are strewn across the hall floor, up the stairs and on every surface that stuff can be dumped on. It’s not safe to walk on any part of the hall floor as our necessities are left in the open. A cupboard under the stairs that has not seen a clean up for over 10 years and was last pained over 20 years ago. So off I set to give it a coat of paint and see if a transformation can happen. It’s taken 3 nights of work so far to empty it and it feels good to look at the collection of stuff in it and get it cleared out. Then we had to scrape off old wall paper, fill in all the holes and now it’s ready for coats(s) of paint – it was meant to be one but definitely needs two!

Feeling all snugly in the small cupboard, listening to the radio about the cold weather, I had a realisation about the poor birds outside. Now the English song birds are something I really appreciate back in the UK. It was my turn to squeeze out of the cupboard, trudge to the bottom of the garden and check that the water bath was not frozen over. There is nothing for the birds to pick at in the garden, it’s also untouched territory just like the under stairs cupboard, this garden has no plants  or seeds for them. Feeling guilty as I watched a Blackbird try to lift some wind blown leaves to see if it could find a worm I remembered another cupboard – the one under the kitchen sink that you also always keep clutter in. There is some bird food in there, I mean I think there is and so the search of the kitchen cupboard began. More rubbish from daily life across the floor and there hidden in the back were bird fat balls but no feeder to put them in.
The Blackbird was still hopping about under the only tree, or more like Winter Twigs in the garden, still looking for food.
I took two fat balls and smashed one onto the concrete and put the whole one under the Winter Twigs!

I came back inside and watched as the Blackbird returned to it’s spot for more leaf lifting. It was finding nothing, yet continued in vain to look for something to eat, something to give it hope to get through the winter chill that had fallen again.
I waited and watched as it got nearer and nearer the bird food and yet still he did not see this golden opportunity of food and hope right near him. I felt like offering encouragement but that would just scare him off and in his own mind he would have to fly off in the wrong direction and away from hope and help.
Suddenly a flick of his eyes and he saw the opportunity by his side and cautiously approached – was it too good to be true? Just a quick nibble, then a look around was it safe to take more? A bit more food then settling in to enjoy a good meal. I heard a call and within a moment a female Blackbird appeared and joined in the feast. They didn’t stay long and I like to think that they spread the news, as more birds appeared and with much less hesitation they fed and went on their way.

I like to think that the Blackbirds were my first lesson for the day. Getting out the cupboard to help the birds was not about me it was to help others. My blog is not about me it is about the stories in my life that lead and inspire others. It’s about being open to the opportunities around you and keeping your eyes open for them. How often are we scared to take up an opportunity perhaps because it seems to good to be true. Then when something good happens we fail to share that news, because we dont want envy, yet sharing it what may help someone else.

My second lesson is that uncluttering your life, not just possessions, gives you freedom. Freedom to look out for opportunities to make something even better. It may just be a cupboard and by the end of today I will have 2 cupboards de-cluttered and back together again. Focus on the freedom you do have not the ‘must do’ that is your daily life.

As to how the cupboard looks when finished well that may be another days tale as I’m off now to paint that second coat. Then my guilty pleasure is to write more blogs for another day.
Stay safe and well and get de-cluttering and focusing on your real dreams.
Gill
Recovering Me
http://www.recoveringme.co.uk
info@recoveringme.co.uk