A Small Character in a Big Story

I get a few barn swallows in the shop now and then when I leave the overhead doors open. I had a crow once too. But typically nothing too "cute" comes to visit. That is, until this little fellow showed up yesterday. A yellow warbler (also known as a "wild canary". He kept me company all day and he didn't seem paniced like some of the birds do, beating against the windows and crapping all over until I shoo them out with a broom. So I talked to him off and on, and he watched me work. Sometimes he perched on the frame of the big double doors and sometimes he sat up there on the bow of the canoe. Once he even came within a few feet of me and perched on the kayak stand near where I was working. I try not to get overly philisophical on Facebook because I think people tend to not want to read a lot but I needed this little birds company yesterday. In many cultures different animals are regarded as a sign or "totem" of something symbolic. As I began to experience kind of a kin-ship with this yellow warbler I wondered what the spiritual implication of his visit might be (if indeed it could be such a thing). I think there are many things we hide in our hearts or mull-over in our minds that we would just-as-soon not have people know about: Questions, fears, concerns, hopes and dreams. When I am working on projects I have a lot of time to ruminate and if I am not careful I can get into the doldrums of isolation and insecurity. I have a lot of love for what I do... so much so that sometimes I feel "high" on the joy of creating. When I walk into my shop in the mornings I feel like the luckiest and happiest person on the face of the planet to be able to do what I love doing all day every day. But just like everyone, I also have days when I think I'm in over my head, where I don't deserve what I have, and I wonder if I have made the right decisions. When I came into the house at the end of a long hot day yesterday, I asked Google "What does the yellow warbler symbolize?" and I just clicked on the first search result that came up. Here was part of the result,

"This creature also symbolizes the use of endurance and patience. How long are you willing to wait and how far are you willing to go in order for you to achieve your dreams? Warblers can teach us those things. This animal is showing us that in order for us to succeed in life, we must be persistent and we must possess a level of tenacity to endure the trials that life would bring us. Believe that everything you do and every decision you make takes you a bit closer to the life that you dream of. Do not let go of that dream, believe and you will get there.

The warbler is often prized for its singing voice and because of it, people used to try to catch these birds. It was learned quickly that they do not make good caged birds. They are not like other song birds that will like to show off their voices for people. Rather, they will sing for large audiences in the forest. This trait is known to represent a certain shyness. People that are drawn to the warbler are often like this as well. While they like the attention, they will shy away from direct praise.

Warblers shows up as a spirit guide when...

•You have a song that you want to share. •You seek confidence to be yourself. •You have a dream but are not following it - when you need guidance or direction. •You have a desire to be valued for your work or effort." http://www.auntyflo.com/magic/warbler

So I don't know how often others feel like they can relate to this, but I thought it was the exact right kind of encouragement for where I was at in my personal journey. You might not see a yellow warbler... but keep your eyes open for uncommon and curious things that share your space during the day. Everyone has a story that needs a little character like this to show up at just the right time!