Years ago, I was told that Native Americans (especially those southern tribes) viewed the Snowy Egret as a symbol of peace. Tribal elders who were the diplomats for their people would wear the egret feathers instead of the eagle feathers worn by warriors. It makes sense as the the eagle represented fierceness, strength and power but the calmness, grace and beauty of the egret spoke greatly of harmony. It was said that those who chose to be like the Snowy Egret could find the much sought after inner peace and harmony of the soul.
I observe the birds and other critters of the Bayou. It does seem to me that the legend attached to the Snowy Egret is fitting. Just watching the bird is calming in itself but I have yet to see a Snowy riled. Other shorebirds will squabble over food or roosting spots at times but the little Snowy seems to abhor conflict. It goes about its business quietly. They are not raucous like the gulls or even scrappy like their cousins the herons.
Snowy Egrets shuffle their feet through the shallows to stir up any minnows, shrimp or tiny crabs that are hiding beneath the water. They seem to work alone and do not even recognize or notice other egrets in the area. These birds are content with their solitude and only seek companionship during mating and nesting. Then they will nest in colonies to prevent predators from seeking out the single nest. Protecting the nest is the only time that Snowy Egrets become aggressive. In a colony, all of the birds help to protect the nests.
A juvenile Snowy (notice the greenish legs identifying this one as a youngster) fished for its breakfast near the pier the other morning. It never once seemed to mind that I was just a few feet from it as it snatched up baby shrimp out of the waves. As I watched it, I became fully aware of just how calm the bird is. Even its sweet face showed peace! What an ideal bird to symbol harmony. Love the Snowies!
With all of the rain we have seen this past winter and now this spring, it is no small wonder that mushrooms have taken over the yard. A lot of the mushrooms are nondescript, drab-colored and, more or less, unnoticeable. It was one of those that made me stop in my tracks on my early morning hike. I had already sidestepped a dozen or so clumps of the flat, brown mushrooms when I found one that a squirrel had obviously upended. That mushroom cap was simply far too interesting to ignore! So, down on my knees I went...oblivious of the soggy ground left by yesterday's deluge.
What caught my eye about the mushroom was simply the raindrops that had collected between the gills of the cap. The droplets sparkled in the early morning sun and had the appearance of jewels carefully placed between the gills for safe-keeping. Diamonds can be found in the most unusual of places! Even if those diamonds were just dewdrops, they are precious.
Sometimes we have to forget the worries of the world and simply find beauty where it is. With humans battering our minds and bodies with foolishness that simply does not need to be, it is highly important to take a step back and look at what is good. It is there. Life is good. The world around us is good. We have to find harmony within our own hearts to be at harmony with the world. It has to start with each of us...as individuals.
