(Photo by Linda Jones/publicdomainpictures.net)
I have always been a firm believer in messages and signs that appear to us when we least expect them. Call it intuition, divine guidance, universal assistance, angel messages or a message from your higher self, but I’ve always felt that when I needed something the most, the message appears. I’m sure many of you have felt the same.
This morning, I received a beautiful message that seemed heaven-sent. A light shower had befallen the neighborhood, which caused me to abandon my daily walk with my pup, Luna. I opted to let her out into the backyard to “do her business,” when I heard the faint trill of a nearby Carolina wren. My heart leapt, for I hadn’t heard her song since last summer.
Last year, I’d heard a faint rustling noise in my garage. Hubby had placed glue traps on the floor because we’d found mice droppings when we cleaned it out in the spring. When I moved closer to the trap to investigate, I saw a tiny Carolina wren, whose foot and tail feathers were stuck tight to the trap. My heart sank, but I resolved to save her. Gingerly, I removed her foot and held them both in my fingers as I worked to remove her tail. She’d lost quite a few feathers to the glue trap, but once I freed her, she flew off into the bushes. I thought I’d never see her again. Several weeks later, she returned, still minus a few tail feathers. She was as spry as ever. She continued to appear at our feeder until late in the fall.
When I heard the whistle of the wren this morning, it moved me quite deeply. We’d experienced a few blips in the radar lately, so her return was quite meaningful. She sang her heart out for a good hour, until about the time that I heard the morning bell for Woodland Elementary’s school day to begin.
Wrens are amazing little creatures. Both male and female raise their young, and at times, they swap roles to help each other. They are very active and tidy to a fault. They’re also some of the friendliest birds in the aviary community, quite charismatic and spry. Male wrens are sneaky because they build several different nests to throw off predators, before they settle in a different nest with their mate. Wrens do not migrate, so they dig in for the long haul and stay put during the long winter months. Wrens are not afraid to protect their family and will confront danger head-on.
For those who study animal totems, wrens are symbolic in the areas of activity, family life, parenting skills, neatness, confidence, resourcefulness, home and security. If a wren appears in your life, you might ask yourself if you are using your resources wisely. Perhaps you are feeling less than grounded in certain areas of your life, or you lack confidence on some level. Maybe you have even stopped singing your own song or stopped doing things that brought your heart joy because you were overcome with worry. Wrens are fabulous little teachers, so if you are fortunate enough to see one in nature, try to observe its behavior. You may be able to glean a little lesson about your own life by watching the industriousness of the little wren.
After I realized that perhaps I was worrying a bit too much about a current situation, I mentally thanked the wren for her music and lesson. As I mentioned earlier, everything has meaning. It’s up to you to find the meaning of the little things in life, and to employ them into your daily activities. You may find that the wren’s uplifting song might bring a little healing balm to your worried mind and spirit.
For more information about animal totems, please read Ted Andrews’ Animal Speak. Although Andrews passed in 2009, his life’s work is honored on the Facebook page, Animal Speak by Ted Andrews.
Patty Servidio is an Anton Media Group columnist.
