There was once an old lady who loved beautiful things. So much so, that she fill her house with all kinds of beautiful art. There were paintings and sculptures around every corner. Each room was strategically organized so that it’s theme or color gave it a different feel. Her love of beauty coincidentally made her an artist because her property alone was a work of art.
One day she was sitting on her porch, drinking a glass of cold lemonade when she heard a whistle. The sound caught her attention. She heard it again and this time, she felt a sense of calm arise in her. She closed her eyes and invited the whistle in again. When she opened her eyes she caught a glimpse of something dancing majestically in the sky. The bright sun made it hard for her see clearly but as her eyes slowly adjusted she saw the most beautiful creature she has ever seen.
The bird flew in and out of the trees so fluidly that it look choreographed. The display plus the music was indescribably beautiful. Nothing in her home could come close to making her feel the way that this bird did. She went to the back shed and grabbed some bird seeds from the bird feeder and sat down on the stairs by the front door. The woman held up her palm with seeds and whistled a soft whistle, trying to mimic the bird.
The bird landed on a branch on a nearby tree and looked at her. The lady continued whistling, slowly adding a little emotion into it. The bird cocked its head and whistled back. She continued whistling, slowly standing up and raising her hand higher, closer to the bird. The bird wove in and out of the trees, circling the woman, getting closer after each lap. Eventually, the bird perched on the ladies thumb and started pecking at the seeds.
The woman was ecstatic. She has never felt so amazing in her life. From the fear of losing the, she slowly turned around and made her way into the house. Through the colorful rooms, past all of the pictures and up the stairs she went. Bird still pecking at her palm. Inside of one of the guest bedrooms was an antique birds nest that the woman used to detail her garden themed room. She felt the bird would look great mixed in with the flowers.
The next morning the woman woke up, brushed her teeth and got dressed for the day. Wanting to feel the amazingness she felt yesterday, she excitedly walked to the guest bedroom. When she opened the door, she saw the bird perched on a bar and looking at her but it wasn’t vibrant as the day prior. She started the soft whistle hoping to get the bird to chime in. There was no whistle returned. She attempted to whistle again and still no response back. She didn’t understand why it wouldn’t sing and she grew sad. The entire day went by and the bird never sang and she never felt the calmness as she did the day before.
The lady was boggled. The bird was safe and had food and water to eat. The woman did not understand why the bird wouldn’t do what the bird was suppose to do. Another day goes by. Still nothing. Then another. Instead of the bird making her feel amazing, she was actually getting frustrated. She grabbed the cage and went to the balcony to give the bird fresh air. As she walked outside, the bird got excited. It didn’t sing, but instead made quick high pitched chirps and jumped from wall to wall.
When the old lady opened the door to the cage, the bird flew out and went straight up to the clouds. It somersaulted and dove, gliding through the air gracefully flowing through the trees, dancing with the wind. It landed on the highest branch of the biggest tree, puffed up its chest, opened up its wings inviting the sun to to engulf it and let out the most beautiful whistle. Closing her eyes, head lifted to the sky, he old lady felt a deep calm radiate from inside her and leaned on the railing.
She sat there for a good while before going inside. A few minutes goes by and she walks outside to the large tree. She hangs a small decorative feeder on the trees lower branch. The bird swooped to the feeder, singing its song and fed. The old lady was happy and learned a valuable lesson. She learned that art can be made and kept behind locked doors but the beauty of life can’t be contained. She knew that she loved the what that bird had to offer but for her to experience it, she had to allow the bird to have the freedom to do it.
Locked in the cage, the bird couldn’t dance. Locked in the cage, the bird couldn’t open its wings. Locked in the cage the bird couldn’t do what it was suppose to do that introduced the feeling that she craved. She had learned that if she loved the feeling of what the bird did for her, she had to let it go and give it the freedom to be the beautiful, strong creature that she was drawn to in the beginning. Everyday since, the old lady would wake up, drink her cup and enjoy the show that the bird gave her and every day the bird returned and fed from the feeder.
The moral of this story is to show us how we tend to lose the amazing things that we love by acting on the fear of losing what we love. Beauty can be created but it can’t be controlled. If you fall in love with something or someone, allow it to be what you fell in love with. Just like the quote says, “If you love somebody, let it go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don’t, they never were.”
