Bird of Night

Thursday morning I went to heat water in our microwave so I could make coffee in the French press. Except, the light didn't come on. Weird. I closed the door and started the timer. The timer and clock worked, but the actual heating did not. Gorrammit! Had to heat water on the stove. (I know: first world problems.) Not a beautiful start to my day. Luckily, it got better.

Don't be so skeptical, Goat. 

I left for work a tad later than usual that day and more than a wee bit grumpy about the microwave. As I turned the deadbolt, I heard the distinctive woooo hoooo of an owl. I stopped and looked up just in time to see an owl fly low overhead. I could see the tufts of its "ears" outlined against the royal blue of the clear sky. Its incredible wing span striped and stretched as it glided. It gave me pause and stopped my breath. I stood there for a few seconds just reflecting on what I saw.

I mean look at that majestic power!

I'd been in a funk all week. A colleague got fired for something truly terrible that I can't really discuss beyond that on an internet platform. A kid got suspended for bringing a BB gun to school. We had an assembly that day. The possibilities of that not having been a BB gun just reminded me of how precarious our sense of safety really is. Along with that, my migraines ramped up their attack. Nausea, dizzy, flashy lights, and the pain kept getting worse all week. This time, they weren't fizzling the way they had after the Botox. It was a depressing week all around.

Seriously depressing, RDJ. Seriously. Depressing.

But then, there was that little woooo hooo of beauty. Did you know owls represent all kinds of things beyond wisdom? Being nocturnal, they are mysterious and magical. In ancient times, an owl was said to rest on Athena's blindside so she always saw the truth. In some Native American tribes, warriors would darken the area around their eyes believing that it would bring the ability of the owl to see at night. Owls also attune to the feminine energies of the moon. Not to mention Rush's "Fly by Night".

Oh yeah! That's all you, Owl. 

I consider myself truly fortunate to have witnessed the owl. I haven't seen one in our neighborhood in a few years. Whatever its role in the universe symbolically, it turned my grumpiness around to wonder. A dose of wonder was just what I needed.

It's OK, Moose. I'm sure you'll see one, too.