The Wisdom of Father Sky
Once upon a time there was a rooster that believed he could fly if he tried hard enough. He would see other birds of all shapes and sizes flying around the farm. He loved watching the geese and wild ducks fly the most. They were a similar size to him and they were flying high in the sky in formation, to him that was a magical sight. He would gaze longingly at the sky, picturing himself there amongst the clouds, the sun shining on him. It never crossed his mind that maybe he couldn’t fly. Why couldn’t he? He was no bigger than the geese and he had wings and feathers. He thought: Maybe I just need to wait a bit longer, maybe I’m not mature enough, my body is not yet fully formed. It didn’t stop him from trying though. He could flutter up to the lowest branch of a tree but from there, his flight was more like falling down. It was painful for him and for those around him, but instead of becoming discouraged, he became more and more determined to fly like the ducks. At every opportunity, he would flutter up on to something and flew – down, downwards. Tomorrow I will fly up, he kept telling himself. He wanted it so much that he was not able to see that not one single time had he been able achieve his wish. Even his mother tried to tell him: No, darling, you are not meant to fly, we have for generations as far as I can remember never flown up in the sky. His friends kept insisting: Hey come and play with us, stop trying to fly, we are happy with walking on the ground, having a nice shelter and finding all the food we need. But he kept trying to improve himself, exercising his wings for months but it didn’t work. He practiced long and hard for years and it still didn’t work.
He spent so much time trying to be something he wasn’t. All his efforts were futile but he believed that he was improving. He kept telling himself: Oh my wings are stronger, my feathers are a bit longer today. He refused to accept he couldn’t fly like the ducks or the geese. He would not admit defeat, or that they were better than him and so he continued to waste his time trying to be something else, something he believed was better.
Meditation
On the Wisdom of Father Sky
Imagine you are lying on a cloud and as the cloud moves it became thinner and wispier and you find yourself floating downwards. You realize you are not falling down because someone is holding you. It feels like two soft arms are holding you, and you allow yourself to be held with tenderness and softness. It feels so comforting. You are being held by Father Sky. So strong and so comforting. You feel relaxed and taken care of. No matter where you are you are held. You float safely to the ground. You lay down on the grass and give thanks to Father Sky for his loving embrace.