Hummingbird Earrings

By Gwen Cooper

My heart was full after a morning of baking Christmas cookies with my grandmother. My spoon clinked around in one of her chic glass mugs as I stirred up some peppermint tea for the two of us. I looked up to see my grandmother taste-testing the infamous light and flaky German nut rolls she made each year for the holiday season. She danced and smiled in joyful approval at the batch we made, licking the crumbs from her fingertips. As she transferred some of the cookies to a jolly Santa plate for us to share, I smiled as I watched a pair of sterling silver hummingbird earrings swaying delicately from her ears.

“I cannot believe you still have those,” I chuckled, my fingers grazing one of the sweet earrings, jogging a memory from nearly twenty-five years prior. I was vividly pulled back to the special day all those years ago when we danced with the hummingbirds. We had gone to visit one of my grandparents’ dearest friends up at their cabin in the mountains. They had a beautiful red hummingbird feeder outside their cabin, and I remember watching on, completely mesmerized at the magnificent scene as we arrived at the cabin. Hummingbirds were flitting around everywhere, colorful and glinting in a burgeoning light as the brilliant rays of the sun ensnared the moment wistfully through the woodland surround.

 “Go ahead,” my grandmother had encouraged me, her beautiful and kind smile easing my nerves. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the halo of thrumming little beasts and bravely put my finger onto one of the little landing spots on the hummingbird feeder. Before I knew it, hummingbird after hummingbird would come and land on my finger, drink up some sweet nectar, and take off again, dancing around the grassy valley. Their wings were so little, yet the power and magnificence of these incredible little creatures echoed throughout my entire body. I was utterly entranced and felt connected with nature and Mother Earth in a way I had never experienced before in my little life. My grandmother joined in, holding my free hand with hers, and we swirled around the bird feeder that evening, transfixed in the majesty of the moment, playing wild and free with the splendid hummingbirds.

That year, my elementary school had a little secret Santa shop where we could bring money and purchase Christmas gifts for our parents and family members. As I perused the set-up in our little library, I came across the most beautiful silver pair of dangly earrings. A sweet little pair of hummingbirds with wispy feathers poignantly etched into each little figurine. My eyes gleaned, and a glittering smile spread over my face. These were no doubt the absolute, most perfect gift for my grandmother.

I wrapped them up as neatly as I could in shimmering red, white, and green plaid wrapping paper, topped with a beautiful stick-on silver Christmas bow. I could hardly contain myself waiting to give them to her for Christmas. She was going to fall in love with them as I did; I just knew it. I was so proud of those little earrings, and it warmed my heart that she was wearing those brilliant little hummingbirds in her ears nearly a quarter of a century later.

“Did you know that hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward and stop and hover in the air?” My grandmother pulled me out of my reminiscent trance.

“Hmmm. I did not know that Nanny,” I replied while racking my brain, wondering if I had, in fact, ever seen any other bird who could do such things.

“Every time I wear these earrings, I think about that. I hold onto them as I put them on and let them bring me backward in time and space to that beautiful day we spent with the hummingbirds,” she smiled as she closed her eyes. “And I like to just sit and hover there for a moment. Just like the hummingbirds,” My grandmother’s eyes remained closed as she held on to the dangly little birds. “And sometimes, they bring me back to many other beautiful moments we have shared over the years as well,” her eyes opened, and she smiled warmly at me. I closed my eyes and let that thought resonate for a moment before smiling tenderly back at her in the sweet sentiment of the moment.

“I love that so much,” her sweet words swirled throughout my heart as I helped carry the piping hot mugs of tea and plate of cookies over to the couch. We continued to reminisce about the hummingbirds for a moment before turning on one of our holiday rom-coms, which we loved to watch together so much.

I drew that image of the hummingbirds zooming backward and hovering throughout time and space in, and it stuck with me over the years. Since my grandmother’s passing, sentiment bestows the warmth of that memory each year as I now wear those two little silver earrings. As I wear them throughout the holiday season, I try to emulate the hummingbirds, taking heed to hover within the moments and memories, savoring the details of all the instants that flood my heart with joy and purpose. My grandmother’s words still resound, reminding me that while we cannot suspend time, we can loom and sway freely within all the precious moments like the hummingbirds.