What’s heavier a kilo of feathers or a kilo of lead? I remember Grandpa Cemal asking me that when I was a very little girl. I could not imagine feathers to ever weigh very much so of course, the answer had to be lead. He would correct me. They are both one kilo of weight.
I could see his thinking yet if feathers had any sort of weight, how could birds and angels fly?
White Wings
“Cause we all have wings but some of us don’t know why…” – Michael Hutchence, “Never Tear Us Apart”
What if we are all angelic and have a connection to the heavens? I’d never considered this not even after hearing “Never Tear Us Apart” many times since my childhood.
About a year ago, my youngest daughter Zoe started finding white feathers and giving them to me. She knew I had an interest in quills, being a writer and all. When I sit down to write, sometimes it feels like receiving messages from a place where there’s crystal clarity and colours shine bright.
I believe this is experienced by anyone who is in their element. Gifted athletes, painters, and those who work with code and numbers, and science are familiar with the pleasure of connecting the dots and bringing together a plan to fruition, be it a goal on the soccer field, an academic paper, a piece of art, an album or simply a beautifully organised family dinner.
A few months ago, a friend told me that to receive white feathers had a special meaning. Think about that beautiful white feather floating down in the opening credits of “Forrest Gump”. It lands on Forrest’s shoulder from the heavens and white feathers are believed to be a sign of purity and angelic presence.
However, my relationship with my writing is often a difficult one. I fall into the trap of thinking that I must work harder and do more.
My wings, if I have them, I have to spread them, stretch them, and all of that requires a tremendous amount of effort. I feared that I would not make it as a writer. Fear prevented my words from flying out of my fingertips. Fear was the weight of my wings, my writing gift, I was dragging around and it made life on Earth difficult.
Lighten Up
“If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.” – Toni Morrison
Freeing myself from the burden of having to prove myself as a writer has been a game-changer for me. With the pressure gone, I love writing again. Where did the pressure come from? I believe it was put on me by my parents and on them by their parents and so it goes, the human condition.
Through working with a gifted teacher like Kath, one who reflects back on my physiology to help me get past my blocks, I’m able to access that part of my brain that’s curious, childlike, playful, and creative. It is so simple and it is conscious work to choose to be freer, to fly higher, to see with more clarity.
Take Off
“’Why is it,’ Jonathan puzzled, ‘that the hardest thing in the world is to convince a bird that he is free, and that he can prove it for himself if he’d just spend a little time practicing? Why should that be so hard?’” – Richard Bach “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”
We all need someone who is flying to guide us and yet so many of us are drawn to people who are dragging around their wings and dragging others down with them. Find those who are enjoying life, be in their presence and you may reach the heights of joy working in your own special gift.
All gifts lead to something good and it is so hard to accept them. Take it from me, someone who’s refused her gift for 40 years. Well no more. I let all rejection melt away as I accept all of who I am.
Over to you…
When you are out in nature, what are some of the signs you’re receiving? Are birds visiting you? What is the personal message you’re receiving from all the beauty around you?
