Several years ago we lived in the country. I wasn’t working at the time and so I had a lot of time to sit on the porch and watch the birds. This was the first time I had ever lived out away from other houses and the peaceful serenity is something I still long to go back to someday. In fact, when my house sells one of these days, I plan to live in the country. Or at least not in a neighborhood. I want to be able to sit outside and enjoy nature, not cars speeding down the street. I want to walk out and see a million stars because there are no streetlights. I say this but when it comes down to it I may have to rethink that since I’m probably a big chicken alone at night away from neighbors.
One day I was sitting on the porch and heard Tap…tap…tap. I looked up to see a red-headed woodpecker pecking at the bark of a tree in our yard. He would peck a couple of times, stop and look around, and then go back to pecking. Before he could get the hole made that he was so diligently working on, our Beagle, Beaglie would spot him, jump to catch him and watch as he flew away.
While this was going on, another tree in our yard in which a bird feeder full of seeds hung was covered with birds. Some were on the feeder, some were in the branches awaiting their turn at the feeder and others were on the ground eating whatever spilled out of the feeder. The woodpecker, on the other hand, was laboring pretty hard to get his food.
The thought occurred to me that this scenario was actually a lot like life. There are those to whom everything seems to come easy. Things just seem to be handed to them. These are the birds on the feeder enjoying their meal. They didn’t have to work for it, wait for it, or scrounge for it. These birds are the people to which everything is easy…money, jobs, friendships, success.
Most of us are probably like the birds on the branches waiting for their turn, not really struggling but accepting what we have and being content to wait. The ones on the ground are the people who prefer the easy way out. They aren’t working or waiting but content to pick up the crumbs others leave behind.
The woodpeckers are the people who spend their lives pecking away at barriers that keep them from reaching what they really need. Just like the woodpeckers, they are usually interrupted several times before they reach their goal and have to start over again. Just like the woodpecker, they have to be ever vigil for enemies who would threaten their safety or their livelihood. But, like the woodpecker, when they are finally successful, they are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor with a sense of accomplishment and pride.
Long suffering is a fruit of the spirit that many of us would probably like to replace with something easier. Yet this character building fruit is valuable beyond words.
It occurred to me as I watched the woodpecker that most of the people I have come to know and respect and admire in my life are the ones who have had to overcome obstacles to achieve their success. The people I know for which it has all come easily are usually pretty unhappy people.
I read a lot of biographies and it seems that a lot of very successful people came from very challenging backgrounds. I wonder sometimes what propelled them forward to a life of meaning and success when they could have just as easily used their background as an excuse for bad behavior.
One of the most amazing men I have ever known was my former father in law, Bill. He was a man of integrity and character. He was smart, he was kind, he was an inspiration to those around him. He was always ready to help wherever needed and he was one of the best listeners I have ever come across. He was fair, never judgmental and cared deeply about his family. My sons adored Papa Bill as they called him. When he began to lose his memory and it became evident that he had Alzheimer’s it was one of the saddest things ever to accept. As we watched this man we loved get less and less coherent our hearts broke. When he died in 2003, his funeral was packed. He had made a big impact on a lot of people. He had a difficult childhood, losing his father at a very young age. He chose to not let that be an excuse for a mediocre life. He approached everything with an attitude of excellence and became very successful as a businessman and a person.
A while later the woodpecker came back and began to peck at the tree once again. Once again, our beagle scared him away. I went out and looked at the place where it had been pecking. Hardly a dent had been made in that tree, much less a hole. I was tempted for a moment to go inside and get a drill and help him along. Instead, I put the dog inside, waited for the woodpecker to return and watched him until he finally broke through for his reward.
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