Robin Redbreast

You've seen him, haven't you?  Or, at least you've heard him, by this time of the year.  First, he calls out to you with his chirpy warble and then he makes his presence known to you; maybe perched in a tree or flitting across the pavement.  I saw my first robin of this coming spring season, last week.  I first saw him singing an old maple tree, then, he landed close to me on the driveway, while I was shoveling the latest installment of snowfall.  He was heralding the arrival of March,  the month of wild temperature swings, emerging daffodils and daylight savings all pointing to the gift of spring.  "When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin'  along, sweet song!  There will be no more sobbin' when he starts throbbin' that old sweet song."

I find the arrival of the robin to be much more reliable in predicting spring than that precocious ground hog whose only mission is to tease us mercilessly for the few minutes he pokes his head out of his hole.  The robin's song is emphatic.  "Wake up, wake up you sleepy head.  Cheer up, cheer up you sleepy head.  Get up, get up, get out of bed!"  Don't miss this!  The cherry blossoms will be bursting soon, along with the gentler breezes blowing in so, wake up and enjoy the new life all around as the robin ensures he is back for the long haul and to set up housekeeping, for at least the next 6 months or so.

The robin is an old soul on this earth.  In legend, he earned his red breast as he was present at the crucifixion of Christ and bravely tried to remove the thorny crown from Jesus' head.  For this, he heroically earned his badge of honor and the robin wears it well.  He is an escort of new beginnings, like spring itself, and a steadfast companion in the garden of life bearing the gift of the promise of spring. "Cheer up, cheer up the sun is red.  Live, love and be happy!" 

Writer's Note:
***(Italics = the words in the first stanza of  the song,"The Red Red Robin" by Al Jolson) 
***Images of Robins and Robin's eggs from Ask.com