Hummingbirds Make Me Think of Nonnie

Nonnie was my grandmother. She was like a second mother to me. We lived two blocks from my grandparents and I spent a lot of time at their house. One of Nonnie's favorite things to do was watch hummingbirds. When we lived in the city, there was a hummingbird feeder on her back porch. Her house was set up in such a way that the den, kitchen, and dining room made a U shape around her patio. As a result, you could watch the hummingbird feeder from any of those three rooms. Plus, she had a porch swing that we frequently sat on and watched for hummingbirds.

When Nonnie moved to the country, one of the first things she had Grandpappy do was set up the hummingbird feeder. Now, Nonnie loved watching any birds, but hummingbirds were her favorite. Over the years, I came to associate hummingbirds with my grandmother. Every time I saw something shaped like a hummingbird, I thought of Nonnie. Every time I saw a hummingbird in art, I thought of Nonnie. This has kept Nonnie close to my heart, even though she has been gone for 3 years, now.

My boys have not yet discovered the fascination that hummingbirds hold for millions of people. They have not found out, and been intrigued by the idea, that a hummingbirds wings move so fast they are a blur, or that they can move backwards. It is summer time, again. I think that I should plant a hummingbird friendly garden, and in meantime, put up a hummingbird feeder. My little birdwatchers, Xavier and Dominic, would be thrilled.