One week before my move date, while at the new home walking through various projects, my friend Colleen and I found a baby robin. The roofers had moved her nest to a nearby tree from a garage rafter the previous day. The baby was hiding in a large brush pile, where predators may live, so rescue seemed important. We named her “Roof-is.” Colleen advised me on how to care for a baby bird, and I brought her home, surrounded her with warmth and fed her wet dog food for two days and two nights.
I was worried I might have done something that would hinder her ability to make it in the world, and so after reading a bit, on the third day, returned her back to creekside. I had to speak with some contractors that day, and interspersed, I continued to feed Roof-is and let her hop around outside of her cage I also carried her around in my hand and on my shoulder as she had become quite comfortable with me. After several hours of her scoping out the lay of the land, in the afternoon, I let her out, and she immediately hopped back to that brush pile. I saw her mother come back with food for her several times, and saw her fly briefly from one spot to another. All development that was expected at this age had been achieved!
So, I decided to look up the Robin as a spirit animal, to see what my meeting with the young bird might mean. Turns out it was exactly the right message for my move –
“Robin signifies stimulation of new growth and renewal in many areas of life. He teaches that any changes can be made with joy, laughter and a song in your heart… This creature will teach how to incorporate new beginnings with faith and trust in the process. It is time to believe in yourself and use the inspiration that is given. ”
What a perfect message. I found this new place to live, in order to refocus on the simpler and most important elements of my life: art, nature, and service. With the many natural resources in my new home, I look forward to the changes ahead and I thank the Robin for reminding me to enjoy the ride with the songs of many birds in my heart!
While an executive director I rallied behind embracing change as sources of funds and the abilities of school districts changed in New York State. I was always surprised how much talk there was, in business literature, about the difficulty for some people to make changes in the way they work. This move has helped me to better understand those difficulties. While some plans supported with careful execution can make a change like the flip of a switch, there are always the straggling pieces of the project. These stragglers are probably there for any project or organization. So the Robin tells us to use these moments to renew and inspire, even if the electrician is taking extra weeks and you don’t have a stove or refrigerator when you move in. Learn from your experience and become stronger through the change.
Source for this post: Spirit Animal Totems
Buffalo Moose Group 