Fifty years of a Journey!

 

A Tree Pie's bird call in our garden alerted me this morning! I found it in the front garden of our cottage. 

I noticed it moving from one branch to another appeared to be biting the twigs. Initially I thought it was looking for insects. 

It was when it seemed to bend the twigs, I thought that it might be gathering sticks for its nesting. It had to give up attempting to break a few large twigs as they seemed resistant. 

The last three photos confirmed that it was able to break one twig and soon flew away on its journey to prepare its home for nesting!

Recently Anna and I completed fifty years of our life married together. This sight of the Tree Pie in its stage of preparing its nest, brought many memories about our courtship, marriage and the experiences thereafter.

One theme of our life was, to be loving and giving, from the time of our courtship. 

All marriage relationships will carry this theme in their journey of shared living. 

 

As we look back over the last fifty years, what is refreshing to discover is how much more we can be loving and giving!

It is in the context of marriage, one is always made rich by giving because we also receive from each other. In that sense giving is investing to grow in mutuality!

In every marriage there is more room for loving and giving! When Anna waits at the table for our meal till I arrive, what I receive is love in action to affirm our togetherness. The 'two shall become one' in marriage is an ongoing journey, enabled by simple acts of kindness and affirmation! I continue to receive plenty of that each day. At breakfast table Anna asked me, that, 'Are you going to look out for more birds at the feeding station'! I sensed in that question that Anna felt my disappointment in not seeing enough birds at the new bird feeding station. 

The pictures above of watching a Tree Pie gathering sticks for its nest came out of waiting to look for birds because of her suggestion! To experience that Anna thinks about my interest or disappointment is a sign of intimacy of awareness !

I wish I can grow into that level of nearness in being aware of how much Anna feels and responds in a self-giving way! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)