Musings from the Back Porch

I am lucky enough to work at a pagan-owned company, smack-dab in the middle of the Ozarks, that just so happens to be on the third floor of a building in the city's Courthouse Square. We have a lovely porch out back that looks out upon the vast sprawl of the city and the bountiful greens of the ozark forests beyond.

It's a wonderful place to take a brain-break, relax and watch the last of the hummingbirds fly through, stealing the final sips of nectar from the vines that crawl along our porch railings. We've been fortunate enough at home to have been entertained this summer by these fast flying acrobats - I've marveled at how quickly their young matured, and at the strange and melodious chirpings they make, especially when defending their territory. At the height of our season, we had over 12 hummingbirds fighting over our one measley feeder - the cats (needless to say) spent the majority of their summer with their noses glued to the window.

Today's high flyer on the back porch here at work was alone, quickly and efficiently slurping down the flower sap as it flitted from flower to flower. No rest for the weary it seemed, as he skillfully worked his way along the vine, not missing a single flower that I could see. Made me tired just watching him.

How often do we behave just like him - quickly working through our errands without a second to pause and take in the beauty around us. It made me realize that I had been doing just that all morning - rushing to work, working through meetings, running several errands on my lunch break, then rushing back to work and working through my To-Do lists...all the while completely oblivious to the beautiful weather outside - bright sunshine, azure blue skies, a lovely breeze and cool temperatures - my short break out on the porch has completely managed to reinvigorate me for the rest of the day.

How about you? Been buzzing around at high speed like the hummingbird? Make the choice to allow yourself a moment to catch your breath, breathe in deep and let your shoulders relax. Bet you feel better too!