Brandelyn: Lyrical Contradiction

            Yesterday was one of those rare days in the bay where everything was so perfect and clear that even the homeless people were chillen. I decided to take full advantage of the day, so I went to an outdoor café, ordered a sandwich and peach Italian soda, and pulled out my manuscript and settled underneath the sun’s kisses. The problem with days like that is that sun is so delicious, it always coaxes you not to work, but rather to sit there and simply enjoy its power. Its kind of like a good massage, no matter what else you have going on, or what you have going on in your mind, all you can really do is sit there and enjoy it. So as I was sitting there underneath the tree filled with little pink and white flower blossoms, a tiny hummingbird appeared out of nowhere and began floating around above my head in the tree. Instantly, I became a six year old staying at Nana’s house. It would always be one of those Saturdays, where everything was quiet. There was no television or radio on, the house had been vacuumed and dusted and aired out, and the streets were lazily calm, and the house was filled with an overwhelming peaceful quiet. I remember lying on the floor on Nana’s rug in the living room, reading books, and Nana sitting on her corner of the couch, going through her magazines. All of a sudden, she’d whisper, “Brandee, come here, be quiet now.” I crawl over to her on my hands and knees and climb up next to her on the couch. I knew what was coming and I was excited. We would both look out the window and watch, as a tiny hummingbird would float silently around the flowered bush outside of the front window. “Nana, where are its wings?” I would always whisper, watching it float around. Nana would smile and always say the same thing, ‘they’re there baby. They’re just moving so fast, you can’t see them.” And to me, that moment was magic. Sitting next to my Nana, watching the hummingbird seemingly float from bloom to bloom, as I literally held my breath, afraid that if I made any noise, I would scare it away. And I knew those moments were magic because, no matter what was going on, the only time I ever saw a hummingbird was when I was with my Nana, in her living room, laying on the floor, secretly waiting to see if I would get to see one of those birds again. Sometimes, when Nana wasn’t around I would even sit at the window and wait for hours for one to come, but they never did. I always thought that Nana had something to do with me seeing the Magic birds (LOL) so when I saw one yesterday, it took me back to those moments and I realized that I had a fat grin on my face. Life really is about taking in the little things and appreciating those moments that make you smile, and hold on to those moments when times get hard. If you have a memory that makes you laugh, hold on to it and keep it. It’s okay to start giggling to yourself when that thought crosses your mind. I think we so often try to suppress ourselves and try to be “adults” meaning that we can’t laugh or enjoy life as much as we once would. But that is not the case at all. Yesterday, as I sat literally soaking in the sun, I thanked God for my life and for all the things I have been blessed with. Yes there have been hard times and mistakes and mistakes and mistakes, but things could be a lot worse. I can see a hummingbird and think of my Nana, then call her and tell her about it and have her appreciate my story. Life really is precious and beautiful and when we think about it, we’ll realize that its really just a bunch of little moments stacked up on top of each other forming a smile until we are so full we have to laugh. And yes, that is what life is all about.