Sparrows - one of nature's most powerful antidotes to depression and world pain

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies at market? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God."

Although I am not religious in the slightest, I often think of this quote from the bible when I see sparrows, because it acknowledges that far from being worthless, sparrows are as worthy as you or me before their Creator.

Sparrows are such delightful little beings - animated, chatty and endlessly up to something! And although they are barely noticed by most, I love and cherish them as much as 'God' (apparently) does.

With their lively and absolutely charming antics, they have brought me back to life on more than one occasion. Wherever I am in the world, it is rare that a sparrow or two is very far away. And no matter what is happening in the world, no matter how overwhelming or frustrating or challenging those events may be, I simply cannot stay sad whilst looking upon a sparrow...

As I write this, I recall being struck down by a several day period of overwhelm, world pain and depression so severe that I literally couldn't get out of bed or speak. Do you know what brought me back, in the end? Sparrows, tapping on my window, asking me to come outside and be with them again...

The many pots full of plants in my little garden (above) were a real hit with the local sparrows. And you can see the window they tapped on to tempt me back outside...(I had been neglecting to refill the seed feeders - unforgivable, and a very real reason to drag a depressed woman out of bed!)

If you're ever feeling less than stellar, please do look out for sparrows - they are almost always nearby and really are a wonderful source of joy and happiness. If you don't believe me, go outside and watch their play: they are utterly irrisistible and you won't regret it, I'm sure!

On a recent visit to the park in Matlock, Derbyshire, this little lady was exceptionally brave, sitting on the back of our bench literally a foot away from Raven's shoulder. Isn't she just the most beautiful girl?

With love,

Jay

Sparrow photos -
Camera: Olympus OMD EM1
Lens: Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-200mm