The Lesson of the Wise Old Owl

  Maybe it is just a sign that I am getting older or perhaps I was out in the pollen a tad too much but I had a bit of a "choking" spell early this afternoon.  I had been out in the garden and needed a drink of cooling water but with the first swallow, I gagged.  Hmmm?  No, I choked, gagged and gasped for breath.  Yeah, it was that bad.  I guess something just went down the throat wrong but for a solid hour, I coughed.  That coughing led to a sore throat and a pain that I could feel deep down in my chest.  It was not a happy feeling.  With that sore throat came a bit of difficulty talking for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  I am quite sure that folks around me were smugly satisfied with my lack of voice but this just added insult to injury.  It was bad enough for me to have pain but for the world to be deprived of my vast words of wisdom was just too much!  Ok..lets just say I could not talk.

  This lack of verbal skills led me to do a lot of thinking and the more I thought, the more I realized that perhaps the world would be a better place without my (or most other folks') constant chatter.  I came to the understanding that about ninety percent of what I say is not really important. (Sort of like blogging!)  Anyway, that sudden light-bulb moment, made me think of a small, framed quote that Mom gave to my son, Michael.  She said it reminded her of him even as a little boy.  He was a shy child that grew into a wise man but a man of few words.

      "A wise old owl lived in an oak;

       The more he saw, the less he spoke;

      The less he spoke, the more he heard;

      Why can't we be like that old bird?"

  When you think about it, this little rhyme would be a great life motto.  Most folks (me included) prattle far too much about nothing.  Words fall from the mouth with ease and without much thought behind them.  If only we followed the rhyme and really listened.  Listened to what was around us.  Listened to those who speak to us.  Listened to what we are about to say BEFORE it leaves our mouth.  Perhaps then, the world might be a better place.

Counting My Blessings

It is early Thanksgiving Morn and all is peaceful and quiet. I am the only one stirring at the homeplace at this hour..simply because I am the one roasting the turkey. Rising at 4AM gave me plenty of time to pump a few mugs of coffee in me and journey to my favorite place, the pier, for a simple morning meditation. As Ezzy, the dog, and I sat staring out over the water, I tried counting a few of my many Blessings. It did not take me long to realize that even though like most people I have a few areas in my life that could have vast improvements, overall my Blessings far outweigh any gripes I may have. There were too many to count..I have a Good Lord that watches over me, a very loving family, a comfortable, snug home, more than enough food to satiate my hunger and even a old dog that would follow me to the ends of the Earth. The Blessings did not end there although that should be enough to please any soul. I could have effortlessly blurted out an few thousand more in the moments that I sat there. Instead, I pondered an idea.."What if I think long and hard and acknowledge some obscure blessing every day instead of one day a year?" Not the usual things that folks (like me) ramble off when asked at the dinner table to list a few blessings. Name a Blessing that is not of the obvious sort..name a Blessing every day and truly be thankful for the way this gift has affected my life. To be truly thankful for something surely must involve more than spieling off a dozen or so items that are so cliche that it sounds rote. This is not to say that we should not be thankful that we were given each of these gifts, but rather to learn to appreciate more unnoticed bounty that has been bestowed upon us. As I sat there, I pondered..thinking of the seemingly unending list..then it hit me..the first thing on my list should be just the ability to think. What a blessing it is to even be able to think! How many thoughts are processed through even my poor, feeble brain each and every day! Yes..to begin my list of daily thanksgiving I am unconditionally thankful that I have been granted the gift of thought.

I hope all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and can find something to be thankful for everyday even if it is totally obscure thing. May the Good Lord smile down upon you in the coming year and grant you all that you need to make you realize you have been blessed.