When we stepped outside to take a walk this Christmas morning, we were greeted by a cacophony of sound above us. We opened the door, and that very instant, large numbers of sandhill cranes were flying above us.
The sound was inviting. As we ventured beyond the house, our eyes were delighted too. Along with the calls above us, the sandhill cranes made a gorgeous display in the sky. Continuous waves of V-formations passed above us throughout our walk. The birds were flying remarkably low for all to see, and soon, neighbors began to take notice as well.
We passed people along the road, and our platitudes about the uncharacteristic weather — “Can you believe how warm it is today?” — turned into exclamations about what we were seeing. “Can you believe all these cranes? And they’re so low in the sky!” This was a gift to the entire neighborhood.
Sandhill cranes are majestic, and they have captured the attention of cultures throughout history. People have assigned various forms of meaning and significance to them. Some consider sandhill cranes to be harbingers of good fortune and longevity. Some consider them to be symbols of justice, and others look to them as a flight of peacemakers.
I spent a little time learning about these associations once we returned, and of all the descriptions, this meaning stood out to me: When cranes arrive in our lives, they invite us to use our past as a source of strength for our present.
This is the kind of belonging I want with me in present moment.
This is the kind of belonging I want to create alongside others in the days ahead.
I am grateful for the surprising view and birdsong that greeted us this Christmas morning.
The past becomes a source of strength for our present.
Those cranes seem like the right kind of heavenly host to usher it in.
Smuggling Grace 