SIMPLE SONGS

"Sing a Happy Song", pastel,
by Karen Margulis

As I was hanging out clothes on the laundry line yesterday morning, somewhere a bird was singing the same simple song again and again, and for some reason, it started me thinking about how strong and ever-present simplicity is. It seems clear to me that most of us, myself included, make life far more full of twists and turns than it actually is, and thus we miss the natural ease and straightforwardness of things. This bird, with its simple song, seemed to be living its life with effortlessness and unfussiness, simply reciting the same lovely melody over and over. It’s as if it knew instinctively that satisfaction is something simple rather than elaborate, plain rather than fancy. It reminded me of a lesson I learned long ago, sort of another simple song similar to the bird’s – that kindness is always stronger than unhappiness. This is an absolutely straightforward fact, the opposite of the cluttered and confusing rules we sometimes try to follow. The plain fact is, that no matter how full of despair a situation seems to be, if I simply stay kind to others, and to myself, the indomitable allure of life will soon make itself felt once more. Like the bird singing its same song yesterday, I should say this over and over – “kindness conquers unhappiness, kindness conquers unhappiness”. The bird knows satisfaction can come in simple ways, and so should I.