Life is a beautiful struggle.
Talib Kweli
With its neck and feathers tucked in, the small green heron looks tense.
When he stretches his neck out - he can look pretty fierce.
Stress
Crouching Green Heron,
swiftly shoots forward to strike -
struggling, like me.
I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.
Vincent Van Gogh
The green heron is a fierce little fisherman. Drawing its feathers in, tucking its neck into its body - it drops little lures on the water to bring its prey to the surface, and waits. Then, suddenly, it strikes out with that sharp pointed beak, extending its neck to catch them when they appear. It looks like two different birds from one moment to the next.
Last week, when I wrote about the night heron, I admired it for its patience and trust in the flow of things. The green heron seems to strive a little more. They are both following their natures, but I often think it would be better to be like the night heron - calm and graceful. Sometimes when things are harder though, I know I’m more like the green heron. I can almost feel the stress in its hunched shoulders when it’s standing on the edge of the water, and its striving when it stretches out its neck in the treetops. It’s like me when I’m doing my taxes. I guess it’s all an ebb and flow. Sometimes I struggle, and other times I flow.
I really appreciate you being here, reading my musings. Thank you so much for all your feedback. I’m thinking about doing another photography challenge…let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll see you next week!
Settling back into his perch. (If you want to know more about green herons, click here.)