Bird Stops

A few years ago I was in a very stressful employment situation. I

> would lie awake at night worrying, be anxious about the job situation

> as soon as I work up each day, and dreaded going in to the office. I

> walked to work each morning across the parklands by the river -

> sometimes taking off my shoes to feel the dewy grass under my feet. At

> some point I  resolved with myself that each day, if I heard a bird

> singing I would stop and scan the tree branches until I could see it,

> and watch it sing till its song was all that filled my being.

>

> I have no idea about bird species except for the most common, but

> every bird and whose song captured me, gave me a precious gift of

> peace, a sense of calm and a connection with the bigger world. After

> these bird stops I  could to go into the day with contentment and

> optimism.
Melinda Rackham