My niece, Maia, gave me a coffee mug, and both the cup and the box were covered with images of hummingbirds. She knows I love the hummingbird. It’s my totem animal.

My partner and I never thought we would see any hummingbirds because we live on the 4th floor. We were lucky that several of them visited our balcony to sip from the lavender plants growing there before starting their late August migration to warmer winter climates. We put up a hummingbird feeder and enjoyed visits from one hummingbird that we named Chloe. She came about every other day until the middle of September to drink from the lavender and the feeder as she bulked up for her journey south and west.

Many cultures say the hummingbird symbolizes resilience, adaptability, openness to love, and the ability to overcome negativity. Some cultures see it as a symbol of persistence, peace, and knowing that even small things have great power. Other cultures see the hummingbird as a symbol of retaining playfulness and joy despite having to go the distance. My spirit loves all that and more. Hummingbirds do not stop. They burn more energy than any other bird, and they can fly in any direction even upside down and backward. They change directions quickly with fluid grace. They pull sweetness out of the deepest, darkest places and when you think they aren’t moving, their wings are moving so fast that you can’t see them.

Let’s adopt the spirit of the hummingbird in this time of sacrifice. Though we have had to make changes, and will probably make more, we are RESILIENT. We can take the hits and keep getting up. We can keep our good humor despite the difficulties and continue to do so no matter how long it takes. The key is to be grateful for even the smallest wins, and celebrate the little things because little is POWERFUL—LIKE HUMMINGBIRDS!

One of the affirmations in my book, Dear Lauren, Love Mom: 31 Affirmations for My Daughter, for Myself, and for YOU, includes a quote about resilience that I first heard from Dr. Cynthia Henderson.

“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.”

  Dear Lauren, Love Mom is available on Amazon.com. Give a copy to everyone you love and want to encourage. Make sure one of those people is YOU!

drcheryladmin

Dr. Cheryl spent almost 40 years teaching and practicing geriatric medicine while raising a family and walking with her mother on a 10-year journey with Alzheimer's disease. In retirement, she is a professional speaker and consultant on family caregiving and how health systems can offer compassionate and appropriate care to people who live with chronic medical conditions and demonstrate cost-effective use of health resources. She also guides women to commit to self-care, set appropriate relationship boundaries, and reclaim their joy. Dr. Cheryl is also a multi-published author about these topics and also an author of romance fiction for grown women.