Some months back I was feeling heavy, not the heavy of a crisis, but that everyday weight work deadlines, noise all day long, way too much screen time. I needed something easy to turn down the noise in my brain and one weekend I set up a couple of bird feeders outside my bedroom window, frankly expecting it to be a short-lived experiment.

The first couple of days yielded nothing and I started wondering if I’d just wasted a few bucks, then on one particular Tuesday morning, a little Finch landed cautiously on the edge, pecked, and was gone.

More birds followed. Different sizes, different colors, with different styles and paces of life, and soon the ritual of my early morning cup of tea, punctuated by the peaceful whirr of small wings was all I anticipated on my way to facing another day without interruption to the precious pre-work hour.

Soon I was spending time watching which type of seed got eaten first, figuring out placement that afforded a better view without being intrusive, even Googling how to attract different types of birds. One afternoon I was struck with the absurdity of it all. My days, often so hectic… and yet a couple of dollars worth of seeds and plastic containers have given me a tiny refuge of calm.

Has anyone discovered an unlikely little hobby that is a daily sanctuary for them?