A Surprise Morning Visit for My Family
I woke up this morning to my usual routine, an hour of work prior to the local cafe opening. Once 7am arrives, I dress my daughter in whatever is convenient, bundle her in her pram and head down to get my morning caffeine hit. I got to the front gate today thought and stopped dead in my tracks. There sitting on the fence post, a mere two feet from us, was the king of the kingfisher birds, an Australian Kookaburra.
I admired its courage, we were so close and it had not flown away. These are not tame birds, they typically shy clear from humans. The memory of this encounter will stick for a long time, it is so rare. I alerted my wife to the visit too, so she could come outside slowly and meet our friend and there the four of us stood, enjoying each other’s company for nearly five minutes.
Once it flew away, I went and got my coffee and reflected on the experience. I can’t believe I had to get within two feet of this bird before I realized it was there. Unbelievable, I am sure the kookaburra was watching me from the moment I stepped outside. Was I really that caught up in my own thoughts that I couldn’t see what was at the end of my nose?
If I had taken one more step I am sure the kookaburra would have flown away. My whole family would have missed this wonderful start to the day. It would have been a terrible loss, seeing these types of bird so close is such a rare experience. It turned out to be a bit of a wake-up call to me. I really need to slow down a bit and pay more attention. Why is it we get so caught up in what we are running towards, that we forget to enjoy that which is in front of us?
From my home on Australia’s Gold Coast, my young family of three are blessed with the song (or laughter) of kookaburras quite regularly. Never have I experienced one in such a personal way as I did today. I know from today too that the kookaburra’s song will have a special meaning for me; there will be a message in every verse. “Slow down Damian” it will sing. “Enjoy what is in front of you right now”. A message perhaps we all can benefit from.
Damian Papworth is a committed father. He recently went looking for baby high chairs. He realized the Fisher Price high chair range was particularly impressive.