The Hummingbird Story
ALWAYS ACTIVELY SEEKING THE SWEETEST NECTAR, THEY REMIND US TO SEEK OUT THE GOOD IN LIFE AND IN OTHERS.
Messenger of Hope and Jubilee
In the minutes shortly after my Mother passed away at Hospice on a Saturday in the early fall of 2009, after I kissed her for what seemed like a million times, I walked outside to make the “phone call”. You know the one I mean, the one you pray that you’ll never receive, and the one that you beg God that you’ll never have to make.
In one split second, I looked up into the sky searching for a sign that my Mom had made it safely and swiftly to Heaven. In that same moment, I thought to myself, “Alyssa, are you a total moron? What do you think you’re going to see? Her name written in the clouds, her face, the rustling of the wind singing…I’m home!?” Well, I looked anyway, intently, staring like a jerk into the sky…nothing.
Disappointed in myself and slightly at God, I sat down by a fountain and through an ocean of tears; I tried to make out the numbers on my cell phone. As I placed the phone to my ear, I raised my head and a tiny, beautiful hummingbird buzzed beautifully just inches from my face. She hung in mid air for a few seconds and then buzzed off into the heavens. “Thank you, Mama!”, I cried. She’s home, she’s at peace and she continues to bless me every day with her presence.
Eternity, Continuity, and Infinity
The Hummingbird is the messenger of Hope and Jubilation. It has powerful religious and spiritual significance in the western world. It is a symbol of resurrection because on cold nights they sleep so deeply, they appear lifeless, but miraculously come back to life again when the sunrise brings warmth. It is believed that the Hummingbird is the creature that opens the heart. They live for beauty, flowers, aromas, delicate tastes, sensuous delights. The fluttering of the wings move in the pattern of an infinity symbol; further solidifying their symbolism of eternity, continuity, and infinity.
Observe a Hummingbird, they are seemingly tireless. Always actively seeking the sweetest nectar, they remind us to seek out the good in life and in others and to see the beauty in each day. As migrators, they’ve been known to fly as far as 2000 miles to reach their destination. This quality reminds us to be persistent in the pursuit of our dreams and to adopt the tenacity of the Hummingbird in our lives.
Hummingbird teach us to laugh, enjoy creation, and appreciate the magic of being alive! They awaken us to the beauty of the present moment.
Hummingbirds teach us fierce independence and simple courage. They teach us to fight in a way where no one gets hurt. Hummingbirds represent: energy, peace, playfulness, affection, loyalty, vitality, joy, renewal, sincerity and persistence.
There is something inside the soul of all of us that wants to soar through sunbeams and dance midair in delicate flight. Something in us wants to hover at the beautiful moments in our lives, making them freeze in time. There is something in us that wants to fly backwards and savor once more, the beautiful past.
