Theme: Fear, overcoming
The heron and the wind
Gaia was a young heron, beautiful, with white feathers
and elongated legs. She lived in a pond with other
herons, like her. But she had a difference from the
others. She didn't like the wind.
While all the herons took advantage of the wind to play,
fly higher and venture out, Gaia stayed still, huddled,
with her back to the wind, scared, waiting for it to
pass.
When the wind was strong, she felt her feathers move,
her body sway. She hated it. It felt like a tease. If
she didn't close her wings tightly, the wind could get
under them and throw her off balance.
One day, an older heron, noticing the young lady's
distress, went to talk to her:
- What is it, my dear, why are you like this?
- The day was great, but I already felt a cold breeze. I
think the weather will change and start that wind that I
don't like it.
- Gaia, I've noticed that you always want to run away
from the wind, cringing, hiding, keeping your back to
it.
- Of course, if I could, I would turn it off - replied
the young heron, scared.
- But, did you know that facing the wind head on that we
can take off or land better, more safely?
Gaia didn't know that. For her, the wind only got in the
way. She stared at the older heron, waiting for more
information.
The other heron continued:
- When it's windy, if I'm like you, on my back, all
curled up, I'll be uncomfortable too. If I want to take
off like this, I might even lose my balance and injure
myself. So, what I do is turn to the wind, face it head
on and spread my wings wide. Then it's a delight! I
hardly need to push! The wind, sustains me, under my
wings, lifts me up and takes me for a stroll. Then up
there, I turn around and it pushes me so I can fly fast,
wherever I want. When it's time to go down, I turn
around again, facing it and it helps me balance, so I
can go down very slowly. It's very good! I wish you
could feel it, one day!
- Me too! - replied the little heron, saddened - I don't
know why I'm like that.
- Everything has a reason, a cause, doesn't it, my dear?
You may not remember, but you may have been startled by
some wind, or been impressed by someone's report. Or
even getting hurt when you were little. Everything is
possible. But what matters is that whatever it is, it's
over. And what you have to live for is now, which can be
different and even better than you imagine. Think about
it, my little friend, and good luck with the wind next
time it comes.
The older heron moved away, went to catch a fish to eat.
And Gaia stood there, thinking about what they had talk
about.
Maybe it wasn't the best thing for her to be trying to
withstand the wind, with her back to it, for the rest of
her life. Maybe the wind did have a good side.
Gaia could not change overnight. But just thinking that
the wind might not be so bad, it might not be wanting to
tease her, but rather help her, as it did with the
others, she already felt cooler.
At first, she had her back to it, but now she wasn't so
afraid anymore. Then she started to spread her wings and
play with letting herself go, falling once in a while.
She also began to observe how the others did. This also
helped her, as, perceiving their confidence, she also
felt encouraged.
And so, little by little, after a long time, but always
trying a little more, Gaia was leaving that suffering
behind. Until one fine day, she realized that she was
managing to do what the older heron did.
She'd faced the wind head-on, walked with it, and most
importantly, she was feeling great. With commitment,
courage, and the help of time, Gaia was finally able to
overcome her difficulty.
We can all do like her when we encounter a challenge in
life. We just have to remember that God will always give
us the resources, but without forgetting that He does
not dismiss us from having the will of winning.
Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com
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