For the third time in a week, as I have been sitting in the garden, a hummingbird has flown near me and hovered just a few inches from my face. The moment has lasted only for about thirty seconds, during which I didn’t dare to take a breath. All I could do was marvel at the iridescence of the feathers, the loudness of the hum, and the energy of the eye contact.

When I was young I envied Snow White for her ability to talk with the animals in her forest home. I wish that I understood what these wonderful little messengers are coming to share with me.

I think maybe that it’s that life is both beautiful and fleeting, and the sweetness in it is to be found if one looks around to see new growth.