Every year since I can remember, my family has spent summer vacation in Hiawassee, Georgia, where my grandparents have a mountain home. To me, those mountains are the most beautiful in the world. They are also home to many hummingbirds.
    One night, twelve summers ago, while opening up and airing the house, my mother encountered one of these hummingbirds stuck in the blinds of the sliding glass door.

     The poor thing was so tiny and so afraid. We did not know if it would let us free it. We were also concerned that if we did free it, the poor creature would hide somewhere else in the house and die there, imprisoned and alone. After what felt like hours, my mother was able to eventually wrap the bird in a towel and set it free outside. From that day forward, my family has put up hummingbird feeders, and the hummingbird has become something of a symbol for the women in my family.