The Bird

Beauty in the "mundane"

“The day you teach the child the name of the bird, the child will never see that bird again.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti

I recently came across this quote and it was so profound to me that it has been on my mind every since. The premise of this quote appears to relay that once something has a label, we believe we know exactly what it is and therefore, it ceases to be a wonderful and mysterious creature in our minds. In other words, by objectifying and naming everything we lose the beauty and wonder of the world.

When I heard this quote, I couldn’t help but look at things around me and feel a deep sense of understanding with this premise. Take a tree, for example, I wouldn’t usually take much notice of a tree because I know what a tree is. I know what a tree looks like. So I really wouldn’t give it a second thought when walking or driving past them through the day. Yet, if I was truly to stop and look at a tree and really think about everything it is and does… well, it is a truly magnificent part of nature and our world, that we are all connected to.

So how do we keep this curiosity and wonderment alive in our children when we use labels to teach them what certain things are in the world, and to expand their vocabulary? I don’t know the answer to that question, but it’s one I’m willing to explore so my children appreciate the beauty and wonder of the world and of themselves. I believe a good start would be to unlock that part of ourselves. The part that has gradually been walled off through years of being labelled and put into our own boxes by those around us, and eventually we take on that role for ourselves. If we can learn to dull our curiosity, then we can unlearn that too. Maybe we do that by joining with the curiosity and excitement our children see in everything around them. Reinforcing the magic they see and simultaneously finding that magic and purpose we may have lost along the way. For what we believe, becomes.

“Believe in your heart that you’re meant to live a life full of passion, purpose, magic and miracles.” – Roy T. Bennett