At a recent event I was asked, “If you had a mascot for your business, what would it be?”
I immediately thought of the hummingbird.
One of my favourite books is The Flight of the Hummingbird: A Parable for the Environment by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas. It’s a wonderful short story about how a tiny hummingbird inspires a movement to put out a raging forest fire. Faced with destruction, the animals of the forest are afraid; yet the tiny hummingbird decides she will do what she can to save her home. She bravely flies back and forth between the stream and fire, with only one drop of water in her beak to loose upon the fire on each trip. Her determination inspires the other animals to take action too, creating a ripple effect that saves the forest.
So when I think of a mascot, I think of a hummingbird, because it reminds me that small actions make a difference. Small, consistent actions accumulate over time. Small actions lead to bigger actions. Small actions model the way for others to join in and take action too.
And how does this relate to parenting you ask? In a world where we sometimes feel small and insignificant, and where we think that our actions can’t possibly make the world a better place, this story of the hummingbird shows us that we matter, that what we do is important, and that it IS possible for us to make a difference. I remind myself of this story often to keep me going and to take action. The kids and I have also read this story together, and we’ve discussed how they can create positive change in their own way.
While the original question was focused on a mascot for a business, the hummingbird is more like a mascot for my family—and all areas of life. What would you choose as a mascot and why?
