Guarding Our Kingdoms

           Finally! The sour weather has past and now I wake up every morning to the syrupy call of an owl and the rat-a-tat-tat of a most-determined woodpecker. They remind me of excited grade-school children trying to out-talk each other. I hear them during short snippets of time when human-generated noise has quieted enough to give them center stage. I find myself ‘gulping’ in their sounds as though they were ice-cold drinks on a scorching hot day.

In these past months I’ve been learning to ‘see’ again, making conscious efforts to unearth what lies beneath the stresses of my life and I’ve encouraged you to do the same. But hearing the owl and the woodpecker left me wondering about sounds. Underneath the noise pollution that fills our lives what is there?

On one of my recent walks I set myself to listen. The most pervasive of sounds were the birds. Like wind chimes, their songs were all wafting through the air and colliding with one another, but one in particular ‘snagged’ me and stopped me in my tracks. It took my breath away, its music unmistakable: the MEADOWLARK! If I listen intently, all bird songs bring me joy and peace but the meadowlark is the one that grasps my heart. And it has grasped my mother’s heart since childhood.

            I asked my mom what the meadowlark did for her. Her answer: “When the meadowlark sings it uplifts your heart and soul. You get a feeling of peace and quiet.” There is an eloquent phrase in the French language that expresses this sentiment: la joix de vivre. I want to thank you, Mom, for passing that love and wonder on to me.

            Aside from the joy it brings to its listeners, the meadowlark’s song has a surprising purpose: it’s how the males stake their claims. In singing a simple yet powerful melody, the male declares the borders of his kingdom. A single male can reign over six or seven acres of pasture and MUSIC – yes, music! is it’s primary weapon in defending that kingdom!

            This led me to ponder our own kingdoms, both inside of us and outside. How do we defend them against the ravages of the world? Try this: listen for a sound, any sound that delights you and let it be a foundation stone in building your best life. The boundaries of your kingdoms can made of anything you choose. It can be the meadowlark’s song  that grounds you in nature; the laughter of your children grounding you in the joys of parenthood; the softened voice of an aged parent that anchors you in history: all of  these can be your building blocks.

          The meadowlark uses song to defend its home. I believe that our strongest defense, our ‘song’, is in the careful setting of boundaries in our lives, boundaries that protect our inner selves, giving them the safety they need to grow and change; and boundaries that protect our outer lives telling the world, “Stop, here you must halt!”.

            Walk. Listen deeply to whatever sounds grasp your heart and guard your kingdoms as the meadowlark guards his.

Sasha and Sadie, ready for a hike

Originally published in the May 24th, 2010 issue of the WRFP