January 1, 2026

I wanted to follow my New Year’s Bird tradition (2024 & 2025), so I watched for birds this morning. But it was raining and all the birds were in hiding. I heard some chirping and the Merlin app told me it was House Finches, but I wasn’t certain whether to count them. My back garden was birdless. When I got to noon and still had not seen a bird, I took myself for a neighborhood walk.

I need to remember how lovely it is to walk in a calm rain with an umbrella overhead. The sounds of the world are shushed by the falling water and my thoughts quiet as well. I was halfway through my planned path when I saw a collared dove hunkered down in a tree.

(Not my picture. This one is by Tisha Mukherjee and used via a creative commons share alike license. My dove was puffed up like a ball and huddled next to a tree branch against the wet.)

Doves represent Hope, Peace, Love, and Renewal. That is a lot of meaning for a small, common bird to carry. But once I saw them I knew that’s my bird for the year. I would like peace and renewal, and I too have a lot to carry. So quietly, and in community (because doves are always in pairs or groups) I will travel forward through 2026.