Have you ever looked up into a big tree to find the bird that is singing? The source of that noise that is filling, distracting you from, the peace and the silence underneath & all around you?
What is your bird?
Is it a memory, how you experienced an event in your life? Something someone said when you were…?
You can’t often see your bird straight away. How hard do you look? Is it around the back, blocked slightly by someone else’s tree? Or is it so clear, moving and bobbing around that it’s right in front of you. Full face on. No avoiding this one.
That’s often when the tears are there. The strong emotions that have broken through our defenses. The strong emotions that are no longer hidden behind branches we’ve created to cope in the world.
When these issues wobble and are BAM right here, in our heart, our mind then you know it’s time.
“PLEASE LISTEN!” your body says, your heart begs.
If you’re lucky, it’s all convenient. Your buddies, support are right there. Often times though these feelings come up when it isn’t convenient.
When we DON’T WANT TO cry, feel, wobble.
You may also have a sense that there are birds somewhere in your tree but you can’t see them clearly.
You may need to be quiet, still and allow them to show themselves to you in their own way, their own time.
Can you be with this waiting, allowing, not knowing whilst they may or may not show themselves?
Can you take a step back, look at the whole tree? See how it it supported, nourished?
Maybe light, clarity, is affected a little by those around it? Or our perception of them blocking us anyway.
Can you see how there is still light, nourishment possible for it?
Can you ask anyone else, a trusted friend or professional, to help you to see more clearly? A different perspective can often help.
Sometimes the birds come out clearly. Sometimes you have to go looking for them, to understand what may be blocking you from the peace you crave.
These birds, these thoughts, perceptions and ideals may or may not be useful to you anymore. But they will, at least at first feel like part of your tree, your identity.
Please remember that they came into existence to try and help you. To protect you. My experience is that they are ALWAYS trying to help in some way. They may just have formed in a time when you didn’t have so much life experience or clarity, or were already full of stuff to deal with.
With some help, time and patience, the ones that are useful and help the tree stay. The ones that don’t fit the tree or they don’t serve each other will fly away.
They do, and will, if you can accept, love, thank and allow them.
Then more light can come in and, if you’re lucky, peacefulness can be yours for a while.
The birds are useful. The tree is useful.
All of it’s wonderful branches you have grown, are useful. It’s ALL part of life.
AND you can still be your tree, still feel the air on your branches, the earth under and around you.
AND let the birds sing too.
