Because of my child and Germany, I came to like birds.
My mother didn’t really like birds. It seems the reason was that they would leave a lot of droppings on the street and on the balcony. She also often said things like, “They carry germs.” Maybe because of that influence, I didn’t have any particular feelings about birds myself. I didn’t dislike them, but I didn’t especially like them either.
But after coming to Germany, that distance gradually started to change. I began living in an environment where nature feels much closer than when I was growing up in Tokyo. Especially after my child was born, I started learning more and more about nature together with them.
One day, when my child is still a toddler, I bought some bread and went out for a walk with her. We sat on a bench in a park and ate the bread. She dropped some crumbs. Birds gathered to eat them, and she became completely fascinated by the scene. As a side note, I still remember the name of the bread my child chose — “drei Käse hoch” (literally “three cheeses high,” meaning a little kid or mischievous small one). That bread is still sold at the same bakery, and whenever I see it, it reminds me of those days.
After that, as I gradually learned about birds together with my child, I realized that I had come to like them too. I feel comforted watching robins and great tits visiting our garden and balcony — “so cute, so round 😆” From the balcony, we can also see a tree where a woodpecker made a nest, and we watch small birds going in and out of it together. In winter, we hang bird food on the balcony and look forward to the birds coming.
Looking back, it feels like I unexpectedly discovered a new joy in life. I’m grateful for life in Germany and for my child. I wish I could have shown these lovely birds in Germany to my mother.
This growing love for birds has even led to something new: next month, I’m planning to offer a workshop at a Naturmarkt in a town called Augustusburg, in the same state. I’ll be making mobiles and accessories using leftover materials from a makerspace. The prototype has turned out quite nicely, and I hope to refine it over the next three weeks 😊
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXbrw1TDQv1/
子どもとドイツのおかげで、鳥が好きになった話を、日本語部分はnoteに投稿しました。よかったら覗いてみてください。動物はかわいいけれど、家で飼うのは自信がなく、そこらへんを飛んでいたり、遊びに来てくれたりする鳥さんたちといい関係で過ごしています。