In February everything can seem the same. The landscape in many places is a series of grays and whites. Winter storms create conditions for more time indoors after endless days indoors. But the joyful practice of hygge counteracts the mundane, dark, cold days. Hygge (pronounced hue-gah or hoo-gah, depending where you live) is a feeling of coziness and contentment in the present moment. The word first appeared in old Norwegian and is a way of life in Denmark. Creating a ritual around brewing a cup of tea, lighting a candle, or taking a nap in a sun patch when the sun does peek through the clouds are all ways to embrace hygge.
One of the first things I do in the morning is listen to the bird chatter. I turn on the heater, steep the coffee in the French press, then head out to the front porch to listen. The curve-billed thrasher is delivering the news, the pileated woodpecker is working on the bark of the palm tree, then the pigeons join in later from the top of the light post. If there is a hawk nearby, the chatter intensifies. Occasionally starlings sit in a row along the date palm branch to sing.
At dusk I return to the porch, listening as the birds tuck in for the night. The chatter is loud but not quite as loud as the morning. Hearing the birds wind down from the day signals my mind to slow down and tuck in for the night, cozy in my own home. I find contentment in being synced to time by birdsong at dawn and dusk.
There have been numerous reports of an increase in bird songs this past year. The reduction in traffic during the pandemic has created conditions ideal for bird song. The soundscape in my area has been a rich one, even in the dead of winter. Whether this is because I’m spending mindful time listening, or the birds are able to sing more robustly, I can’t say for sure. But listening to bird song brings joy to the start of my day and coziness to the evening.