"Ah, yeah, yeah, I'll do that, my little chickadee."

Mae West

It is very thrilling, to me at least, when the sweet sound of chickadee-dee-dee dances in my ears. This beacon is all it takes to make me stop in my tracks, drop what I am doing, and turn my attention towards finding the delightful source of the clamour. Adorable and powerful, the tiny chickadee is one of the sweetest creatures I have ever encountered. It is also one of the boldest and most confident. I find their tiny bravado very inspirational and a refreshing change from all the human anxiety and trepidation being shared wide and far these days.

Human’s aren’t capable of fully understanding the mysterious complexities of life despite all our claims of superiority. I am quite obviously no exception to this rule and have had to learn all of my lessons the hard way, which is through trial and failure. One vital thing I learned through this method is that it is always wise to avoid those who claim to be all knowing as they always turn out to be the most dishonest dullards you ever had the misfortune to spend time with. However not the Chickadee; the Chickadee is always a delight to hear and see, the Chickadee never bitches or complains, the Chickadee never puts others down to build itself up, the Chickadee is never confused, and finally the Chickadee moves with the grace and confidence of one of Mozart’s musical compositions as it goes about its business, never hesitating or questioning its purpose.

Within those large, wise Chickadee eyes, hold the truth and answers to the riddle that I will never be able to comprehend, much less answer. And that being, how, despite their petite size and being so low on the food chain that most other creatures will be happy having them for dinner, they still announce themselves with their delightful “Chicka-dee-dee-dee” when entering the scene? Despite their being limited by a lack of proper society with chickadee infrastructure, along with advanced economic systems to ensure them lifelong support, complete with cool devices and handy gadgets, they are far from meek or timid, nor are they dull-witted. In fact, they are rocking their existence with great passion. Whereas human beings, despite our size and being on top of the food chain while also benefiting from our excellent human infrastructure, our numerous systems, supports, and devices, we struggle with meekness and helplessness. We are far too anxious and fearful, for creatures who aren’t daily being hunted for dinner by many others. Our problems arise from being seemingly trapped in a dysfunctional codependent nightmare of our own creation which isn’t very superior of us at all.

These are very difficult times for many people who are struggling with grief, fear, and constant violence in many of our communities, along with the ongoing drone of negativity and hatred being spewed about these days. That is why I am instead sharing the joy and beauty of Chickadees with everyone out there, in the hopes that their songs and sights will lift the spirits of some other person and do them some good, even if only for a few precious moments. Life is fleeting, and we tend to over complicate and waste it chasing illusions, ever fearful of criticism or rejection that we readily heap onto each other daily. Instead of embracing ourselves and being like the Chickadee: proud, bold, and comfortable in their own natural feathers, and making the best of life with what you were born with, like your ancestors did, which is technically the reason any of us are here at all.