Magpies and a good reason to blog

7 May 2012 by this is lemonade 7 Comments

I am writing on a rainy bank holiday. I have a yucky sore throat. I have been thinking happy thoughts about blogging!

The reason why I started blogging is not unique. I was touched by Amy’s post on her cozywalls blog last week (take a look, it’s full of treats!) in which she explains:

I started this blog at a particularly uncozy time in my life. The point was to focus on the GOOD TIMES. Of course, life is not always cozy, but I wanted to put my good memories together in one spot so as not to dwell on those things that are beyond my control.

I could not have put it any better myself. Amy is one of those precious people who are giving me that lift at the end of a difficult day, inspiring me to be bolder in what I attempt to do, reminding me of things I used to love doing but have put down because I simply forgot about them or have been told for too long that they are not “important” or “useful” things.

Many blogs are polished and pretty and there are even people out there who criticise some bloggers, accusing them of being “fake” or “staging” their blogs. However, the more I read, the more I appreciate the number of people who are using the confines of their blogs to collect the best and worst parts of their life experiences and reach out to others to encourage or find encouragement.

This morning as I was clearing away last night’s dishes, I had the privilege of seeing a magpie up close as it hopped right past the kitchen window. Magpies are my favourite birds. I love their elegant tail feathers and their backs that shimmer and delight with the flashes of rich blues and greens.

Magpie illustration from RSPB

The average lifespan of a magpie is three years, according to the RSPB, although some are known to have lived for much longer. This fact made me think. I’d never before thought about how the magpie I had just been watching might imminently cease to exist. After all there aren’t lots of dead birds lying around everywhere. I see these chattering creatures gliding about effortlessly every day in the expanse that is the sky above our heads.

As I watched the magpie this morning, I remembered this quote from DH Lawrence:

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.

I remember when I first came across these words, many moons ago as a teenager. They were inspiring, but oh so impossible to emulate. Perhaps you don’t get bogged down by the negative things in your life ever, but I’m still on the journey to try and make each day count without it being all about me and my little worries. It’s definitely worthwhile, and it’s getting ever more exciting as I add to my own hoard of beautiful memories and sparkly bright treasures!

Thank you for sharing this journey with me!

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