Sparrows

There is a nest of sparrows living over my window. Apparently, they — or at least some form of “they” — have lived here quite awhile. My roommate said they used to be by his window. The man from whom I inherited the room said he usually bangs on the wall and they disappear. I like them. I want them to stay. Why would I want to displace a growing family? I mean, I know how hard it is to find housing in New York anyway…

I love waking up to the sweet song of mother and children in unison. It beats listening to screaming neighbors or the same damned song six times a day blaring from various cars (“Panda, Panda, Panda, Panda.”) It’s a slice of nature that doesn’t exist. It’s a vision of the forest, trees swaying to the sparrows’ song, creatures milling about, striving and surviving in their own ecosystem untouched by man. As we navigate our own ecosystem, with ever-changing infrastructure, its nice to have a reminder that change is constant beyond the city.

The birds represent growth. The hatchlings chirp out of instinct, out of reliance. The mother calls back, to assure her babies that all will be well. One day, our matriarch will nudge her chicks beyond the nest, spreading their wings and taking flight on their own. We all need systems to help us grow — be it family structure, a supportive work environment, or surrounding ourselves with inspiration — development is a group effort. To grow is to absorb and process the world around us and adjust accordingly. To do so alone will leave us chicks forever in the nest.

Mostly, the sparrows remind me of the cycle. Soon, chicks become birds and the nest becomes empty. My soothing alarm is replaced by car horns and squealing subway breaks. Then, next spring, new birds will nest. The chirps will resume, from new babies, likely for a new tenant. Everything ends. No matter how much we love something — how much we enjoy, appreciate, adore, and treasure — it will leave us. We will leave it.

It’s a beautiful way to start the morning, birds chirping. The day ahead is put in perspective. In that brief moment, blurry-eyed and foggy-headed, the serenity of the sparrows brings a lasting calm. It’s as if the universe is singing to me, letting me know all is well. As today, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you are alive.