(Note: You might need to read this post on something bigger than a phone screen to see the details of the photos.)
I was walking on the beach, with a very cold wind out of the northwest, when I saw these plovers and stopped to watch them. As new birds joined the group, they tucked in at the back, farthest from the cold. Made sense, as they had been on their own and now the flock could help them warm up and rest for a bit.
Every few minutes, the bird or two at the front scurried round to the back of the group. They’d done their windbreak duty and now they could get warm again.
As the wind changed shape, the flock did too, moving a bit this way and that to provide the most cover for the ones in the rear. It was hard to track individual birds (all plovers look pretty much alike) but over the course of 10 minutes, it looked like all the birds had taken a windbreak shift and then had a respite from the cold at the back.
We can be like the plovers, covering for each other when someone needs a break. I am a solo traveler, but when I need cover, I have friends I can call, and that makes all the difference. And those friends who look out for me, asking “where are you?” and “how are you?” on a regular basis are my flock as we help each other through this windy life.
There must be at least one person in your life who needs a bit of cover. Call them today. Or text them. Surprise them with your attention.
I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I cant change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit.
Charles de Lint
I didn’t know either, or maybe I just never stood there watching for a while when I saw them huddle up before now. I agree, pulling together for the good of the group seems harder now than ever, but it’s what we need to do.
I didn’t know plovers did this, but I love it! People doing this for each other is part of what can make/has made us a strong society. We can become highly self-absorbed easily with today’s tech and busy lives, making us less responsive to, or even just aware of, the needs of others. It’s good to have reminders like this of what it means to pull together in one direction for the good of the group. 🙂
I’ll see next time I meet with her but I so need to apply that to myself for exactly the same reason – to get out of my head.
Thanks, Beth!
Wow, thanks, Fiona! I think it does help to do something for someone else, takes me out of my own head for a while and that’s always a good thing. I hope she did her homework and it helped.
Really nice, Annie!
Oh Annie – I love your words of wisdom! Do you know? In my counselling work that is precisely the homework I gave to someone this week. She said she was overcome with worries – she agreed to do that.