Chicadee Sweethearts

I was on a loving-kindness meditation retreat in February 20 years ago, when i realized that the chickadees were saying, "Sweetheart! Sweetheart!"

While i was doing walking meditation, they'd perch on a branch of a nearby apple tree and call out to me, "Sweetheart! Sweetheart!" They practice loving-kindness to me. I practice loving-kindness to them.

Now, i love February for the advent of the chickadee song: "Sweetheart! Sweetheart!"

They sing to me. I sing the loving-kindness song back to them--those black-capped darling sweethearts.