Birdie

A few months ago I got a tattoo. It is a small humming bird with beautiful colors and graceful position. She comes from a mysterious secret garden, and on my shoulder she reminds me of what I have discovered about life so far.

For years I had thought that I will get a tattoo when I come up with something lastingly meaningful. But no single symbol appeared. Until a year and half ago I was touring the US. During the previous winter I had faced some disappointments and spent lots of time alone, just thinking about reasons for happiness. At the beaches of Hawaii and on the deserts of Arizona I realized I was often smiling by myself; being surrounded by people who are important to me, learning new exciting skills, seeing stunning nature, doing plainly fun things. I realized that no single event or person is worth of loosing my curiosity for what all is out there. I realized that as long as I am following my own path, no matter how narrow or curvy it is, deep inside I am happy.

As I am not an artist I needed to find a ready picture to store my thoughts. I have always liked birds because of their appearance, so I flipped through a website of thematic tattoos. This one bird caught my eye and I kept thinking about it until I returned from Uganda. Then I marched into a tattoo shop with a picture on my hand and made an appointment. Birdie turned out beautiful and I grew to like her as I was taking care of her during the healing process.

Since my US tour I have been yet learning more. I still totally agree to what I realized there, and on top of that I am continuously collecting awakening experiences and increasing consciousness. Right now I am trying to learn to accept circumstances and incidents as they come, as meaningful cyclical ups and downs, rather than as random (un)luckiness. Instead of demanding certain things from life I should openly face what it brings along; see the joy in good and identify the teaching in bad, no matter whether or not it fits to my plans and dreams.

Instead of symbolizing one static thing, my birdie is accumulating insight and attitude. She does not forget the learnings of past, but still she stays capable of absorbing new ideas and changing mind when needed. I do not see her all the time, but when I look at her through a mirror I feel comfort as I remember everything she stands for.

Birdie being a tourist in Spain