It’s full-on winter here in the Northeast. Two—maybe three—feet of snow blankets our farm. It’s bitterly cold. Ice and snow coat the hemlocks and birches sheltering our house, and their branches rattle in the wind. Despite the frigid temperatures, a daily chorus of “chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee” fills our yard from daybreak to dusk. The Black-capped chickadee doesn’t let the chill blight its cheery spirit. It survives by puffing up its feathers thus trapping warm air against its body. During the winter these small birds require twenty times more food than during any other season of the year. They flit from branch to branch devouring the seeds they cached behind tree bark or tucked into knotholes weeks ago.

I admire the chickadee’s diligence. A fearless bird, it teaches me the value of working hard and persevering when life gets tough. I remember its work ethic while coaching a shy student in a public speaking course or convincing a young woman in a writing workshop that her words matter in the world. Diligence joins me on the page while I revise and then revise some more. Like the chickadee, I choose to bring a cheery attitude to my day as it unfolds like a piece of fine linen.

I often observe, photograph, and write about the natural world around me. This work grounds me in the present moment and provides many useful lessons for living well. The chickadee, weighing just one half-ounce, is a refreshing role model for diligence. Who (or what) serve as role models for you? Photograph or sketch or write about one today. What are the lessons?

Muriel Fish lives on Fishbone Farm with her husband, five hens, and one spoiled tabby cat. When she’s not collecting eggs, she teaches public speaking and writing courses at Thomas College. Currently, she’s working on a novel and seeking publication of her memoir, Sing Me a Lullaby. She’s not so diligent at maintaining a blog, words ‘n me, at murielfish.blogspot.com.