About the bird

There is an idea in adolescent development called “The Looking Glass Self”. It is a fairly simple concept. We tend to become what is reflected back to us AND people often reflect back to us what we put out into the world. In other words, the people around us often do the work of calling out parts of ourselves that we may not have seen otherwise. So it is with birds and me. I never realized that I loved birds as much as I did until my children started teasing me about how often I would exclaim: “Look! A bird!”

So, I was amused when the designer of my logo, after hearing of the vision for the practice, came back with a bird. 

The bird in the logo is a hummingbird, which has a longstanding tradition of symbolism in native cultures. In Central America, hummingbirds symbolize joy and playfulness, deeply held values of mine. Where there is health and well-being there is play. Playfulness at work, at home...in any of our relationships...and especially within ourselves...is a sign of flexibility, creativity, openness, humility, courage, and love. Playfulness is a sign of LIFE. And, this is the hope for each person with whom we work at Unstuck.

In Native American culture the hummingbird is seen as a healer. 

Hummingbirds fly hundreds...sometimes thousands of miles...to find their way to the United States for the summer from Central American and Mexico. Then they make the same trip back when autumn approaches.  Hummingbirds are tireless in their pursuit of finding sweetness in small things (flowers). Hummingbirds are tenacious in their adaptability.

Yes, the hummingbird does capture our aspired essence at Unstuck.

Some of you will look at the bird carrying the branch and see something else. I saw it, too. There is one story that is found in almost all faith traditions across the world: the flooding of the earth. In this story, God becomes so disheartened by the darkness found on the earth that he decides to destroy everything with water and start over. He saves one family, whom He puts on a boat for the duration of the flood. The family would know that the flood was coming to an end when a bird, sent out, would come back with a branch...a sign of life. 

Sometimes in our lives it feels like everything has been destroyed. It is like there is a flood that comes and wipes out everything. It seems hopeless. It looks dark. We feel powerless. It is as though everything has come to an end. 

And, then it happens. There is a sign of life. Something comes back to us that shows us that the darkness is not forever. 

At Unstuck we want to help you find that sign of life. It is there. The darkness is not forever. 

With Hope,

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