Lessons from a Misguided Cardinal
A few years ago I heard a strange sound coming from the office in our house, like someone was throwing a ball against the window. When I went to investigate, I discovered a female cardinal in the tree by the window, and every so often she would fling herself right into the glass. Believe it or not, this became a daily occurrence. And an interesting side note is that her mate was often nearby, but he never took part in his wife’s strange pastime.
At first I thought we must have a real “birdbrain” living in our tree who didn’t know she couldn’t fly through the window. Then I did some research and learned that it’s common for cardinals to do this, especially during breeding season. Apparently, they’re very territorial, and when they see their own reflection in a window, they think it’s another bird they need to chase away from their turf.
As I witnessed this daily scene, it occurred to me that we sometimes act just like this misguided cardinal. Consider these similarities:
- Frequently in life we worry about problems that aren’t real or that we can’t do anything about. There wasn’t really another bird the cardinal needed to chase off, and often we find ourselves, like Don Quixote, jousting at windmills, too.
- As the old comic strip character Pogo used to say, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” In other words, we are sometimes our own worst enemy. How often do you find yourself doing things that harm you, or at the very least are a waste of time?
- After running into the same wall a thousand times, maybe you should rethink your actions. Perhaps you should try to avoid making the same mistake over and over.
- Does someone you love have a bad habit he or she is having trouble giving up? Don’t be like the male cardinal and sit idly by as your wife keeps flying headlong into trouble. Go to Celebrate Recovery with your spouse. You’ll find others there who can help you as you work together on your hurts, habits, and hang-ups.
How many of us are going through life with nicked beaks and ruffled feathers because we refuse to learn from our mistakes? Consider my cardinal friend and see if you can do better.