Dancing Birds

In the middle of the chaos that is my life these days, I had one of those unexpectedly joyous, yet fleeting, moments that catch us unaware. While I was in my car and stopped at a red light, glaring at pretty much every driver around me for simply being there, I saw a flock of birds swoop down in the sky ahead of me.

While I watched, the flock split into two distinct groups of birds. Each group flew as one while being partnered by the other half of the birds. Each half moved as if they shared one communal hive mind as the two groups flew around and around each other in fantastic whirls. It was as if two swooping, swarming, flipping, flying, absolutely amazing dance partners took over the sky right in front of me. Their choreography could not have been more perfect.

I don't know how long I sat there, dumbfounded over the beautiful dance I was witnessing. I do know that nobody honked at me, so either we were all collectively entranced or the moment was shorter than I would have guessed. Time certainly seemed irrelevant at that moment.

Life needs more of those moments. Or perhaps we need to learn how to fully embrace them as they come. They might be few and far between some days, but it would be a crime to miss them once they arrive.