Visit From a Hummer
A chance encounter with a hummingbird reminds me that life's greatest joys are often found in the smallest moments—if we take the time to notice them.
A Visit from a Hummer
Hummingbirds, dubbed "hummers" by my mother, are so quick about their business that they're hard to get to know. Here in New Hampshire, we have Ruby-throated hummingbirds, with bright green iridescent feathers that flash in the sunlight. If you happen to look out the window at exactly the right moment, you'll have only a fleeting chance to watch one in action.
Which is why I felt particularly lucky last week.
I was standing in my studio, studying the houseplants arranged along a table beneath the window. My African violets were blooming beautifully, but their leaves had begun to yellow, and I couldn't decide if they needed more water, less water, or something entirely different.
At the other end of the table sat a pot of bright red geraniums and trailing ivy that I had wintered over from last summer, when they graced my front porch. They're still blooming a year later, just as my daughter said they would.
As I stood there deciding who needed watering, a hummingbird appeared outside the window.
It hovered in place, no more than two feet from my face, as if it had stopped by to say hello. I held my breath. Never had I been close enough to really see one.
It darted to the bright red geranium blossoms, buzzing close to the glass, then backing away, only to return again. Back and forth. The vivid flowers held its attention long enough for me to study this tiny, elusive creature for a full fifteen seconds—which, in the hummingbird world, feels like an eternity!
My whole body came alive. It felt as though the vibration of those tiny wings was humming inside me.
And then, as quickly as it had arrived, it was gone.
My mother taught me to truly see the world—to notice its colors, hear its songs, breathe in its fragrances, and pay attention to the small moments that so easily pass us by.
Now, what feels like a lifetime later, I find myself hiding small discoveries within my paintings, inviting viewers to slow down, look a little closer, and experience the delight of finding something unexpected.
Life is made up mostly of small moments.
If we're paying attention, they're often the ones that stay with us the longest.
