I have noticed that as I become more resilient and accepting of my own identity, I am frequently affected quite deeply by the beauty of the natural world that surrounds us all.

On my recent holiday in Portugal we were frequently visited on the beach by some brave sparrows who pattered on the beach looking for scraps of food under and around the sunbeds.

I was utterly transfixed by them, and I felt intensely joyful at their courage (in coming near us) and their resilience.

On one occasion, whilst sat at a beach-side restaurant for lunch, I noticed two sparrows swaying precariously on a branch which rose up like a very thin twig from the sand.

They were being blown on this branch one sparrow above the other by the breeze and I was mesmerized as I watched them cling on as they were moved erratically in all directions.

These “precarious sparrows” did not let go even when, to my joy, a third sparrow joined them and in doing so, put the branch under even more strain, they all held fast to their positions.

Of course, on my current journey to acknowledge and honour my own truth, I am often on the look out for those signs that speak to me of my past, my present and my future and these three little birds represented for me all three!.

At all times in life we are fixed in different ways to our current circumstances or the troubles of the past or the fear of our future – our branch

We are buffeted by life’s events in all directions which cause us uncertainty, anxiety and pain, but also joy, happiness, truth – our breeze

Some people are constant in our lives – our bird number two

Some people come in and out of our lives in happy or difficult circumstances – our bird number three

Some people believe that they are watched over with love and joy by a deity and/or our parents or relatives – represented by me sat in the restaurant

As I sat there transfixed by these beautiful birds, they suddenly fled from the branch and settled out of sight.

This for me represents the choices that all of us can make to face up to the challenges of our lives by moving on, facing in or reaching out or a combination of all three.

My next blog will be:   Getting Older

William Defoe