Monday nights are date night for Oaks and me. We make a run to In-N-Out to get our favorites, since we’re the only ones in the family who’ll eat there. Then we sit in heavy traffic for more than half an hour on our way to pick up Noah from soccer practice. We talk and laugh while he points out all the exciting cars we pass.
But last night, the birds were back.
Apparently they’ve taken notice of the shorter days already. In their magnificence, they’ve collectively decided it’s time to head south. We sat in awe at the traffic light taking in the scene of thousands of birds resting simultaneously over the tollway. Every spring and fall in Texas, I’m taken aback by their journey. (And more than just because they make deposits all over the soft top of my car!) But last night, I couldn’t help but think about how one single bird wouldn’t have caught our eyes.
If one only bird had been sitting on the telephone wire, we certainly wouldn’t have noticed.
It’s only when they show up together, all at the same time, that we notice their beauty. When they show up together we get a glimpse of their strength, their courage and their beauty. When they sing together, we can hear their song, loud and clear.
Their collective strength is awe inspiring.
Together, they’re taking a journey into the unknown. They’re not migrating based on a clearly defined map. There is no certainty on this journey. They’re simply heading in the direction they know instinctively is right. They’re making choices to go in the direction that leads to the life they are looking for.
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
On election day, you can do the same. Show up, even if you don’t know all the answers. Show up, even if there aren’t any perfect candidates. Show up to vote because you have a song. Because you care. There is no certainty on this journey, but you can make choices that lead in the direction of the life you desire for yourself and the ones you love.
If you think your vote doesn’t matter today, look up in the sky.
Think about how different the trees and telephone wires would look if only a few birds decided to show up. Think about the strength and courage in their community, migrating wing to wing. Think about the power in their collective song.
Don’t vote because you know all the answers.
Vote because you have a song.
It matters.
to more love,
Crystal
