It’s just after 5am on a Sunday. I wake up to a chorus of loud chirps. I sit up, pick up a shoe, and prepare to hurl it out the window.
Then I remember how my mom loved to listen to the birds. They gave her so much joy. My mom always found the best in everything.
I put the shoe down, put my head back on my pillow, and listen to the birds whoop it up with their trills, melodies, and crescendos.
Usually, a second after I open my eyes, I open X.com, to an endless torrent of toxic tweets.
But tweets from birds’ beaks are much better tweets to wake up to.
The stream of doom-and-gloom stories sucks the joy out of life and takes a toll on the soul. If we turn it off, we will live happier lives.
With this in mind, I decided to record some of the moments that spark joy and awe and make us shiver with delight, if only we take the time to see, hear and smell them.
5.30am: Morning has broken
I listen to sugarbirds and sunbirds (and others I can’t identify) singing to defend their territories and prove their vigour to potential partners. It’s like a battle rap, but with feathers, not f-bombs, flying.
The birds sing for their survival, and their sounds can help us survive, too. A 2018 study by King’s College London found that birdsong positively impacts our mental health and can also improve our concentration.
6.30am: Howzit, Brew
Warm smells of Maya’s Marvelous Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pancakes waft into my room. It’s Maya, my 10-year-old daughter’s signature dish.
The warm, rich, buttery smell makes me instantly happy. I try not to think of the mess she’s making in the kitchen. But wait, there’s more.
I sniff deeply, and my olfactory system goes into overdrive with a blast of the nutty aroma of fresh coffee my older daughter, Rachel, is brewing.
Five minutes later, the girls present a breakfast of champions – and it’s not even Father’s Day.
8.30am: Enchanted Forest Frolicking
Inspired by the peace of the birds, I head to Newlands Forest, a dog-friendly pocket of paradise just 15 minutes from Cape Town’s CBD, for another brush with nature.
The Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku “forest bathing”, is about connecting with nature through the senses, to reduce stress and inspire happiness.
I amble about in the calm environment, breathing deeply and taking in the forest’s fresh air (and trying not to step in dog poo).
10.45am: Here Comes the Sun
I walk to a nearby park, sit on a bench, and settle in for the morning with another cup of coffee and a newspaper. I skip the news section and go straight to the funnies.
I feel the sun on my skin. Parents bring their children to play on the swings.
The children are shy at first, sitting in their fathers’ laps and clinging to their mothers’ skirts, but soon curiosity gets the better of them, and they’re chasing each other.
They squeal in delight and whoop and snort with laughter. Their laughter is spontaneous and infectious. It’s an unconditional invitation to join in the fun.
Laughter is a language that connects us with others, and it’s best when it’s shared.
2pm: Beauty and the Beatles (Or Guitar Licks and Dog Licks)
Another language we all understand is music. “Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand.” That’s a quote by the person most qualified to talk about the wonder of music, Stevie Wonder.
There’s magic in a gently picked acoustic guitar, sweet harmonies, beautiful melodies, joyful licks, and soulful vocals. I play the greatest song by the greatest band ever, In My Life, by the Beatles.
“Though I know I’ll never lose affection for people and things that went before, I know I’ll often stop and think about them, in my life, I love you more.”
It triggers memories and makes me happy and sad at the same time. My dog Zoom senses that I’m melancholic and covers my cheek with slobbery licks. Dogs are incapable of deceit. They are the purest form of love
8pm: Starry, Starry Night
I look up into the darkness at a sky full of stars. I thrill at the vastness and complexity of space and all its secrets. I’m awestruck and humbled as I contemplate my place in the universe.
10pm: Good night, sleep tight
One of my greatest joys is sliding into crisp, clean sheets after a long day. I close my eyes and drift into a night of easy dreams that promise to wake me up to a dawn chorus of melodic tweets.
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