LETTING GO (Read and Reflect #3)
In honor of the impending wind slated to impact Eastern Massachusetts tomorrow here are some seagull inspired thoughts on letting go when we encounter turbulence.
Good morning and welcome to longer days & a new season!
I turned off my car and looked out over the water. There were a few seagulls who seemed frozen in the air.
I don’t speak seagull so I couldn’t ask them, but this maneuver looked deliberate. They positioned themselves heading directly into the wind and then stopped flapping.
The gulls did not fight.
They did not flap excessively or try to change directions.
They just let go & trusted that they would not fall.
I’m sure there’s a technical name for this but I’m not an ornithologist.
I’ve been lucky. I’ve lived close enough to the water to watch these sky rats do this trick as frequently as I want, however, this was the first time I was moved by it…not simply entertained.
When the seagulls encountered turbulence they had a choice. They could exhaust themselves trying to flap into the wind or let go for a second and trust.
They choose trust. Then when the sky cleared, which it always does, they resumed their usual flappiness.
Don’t we have the same choice when life throws us into the middle of a storm?
Ideas for Reflection:
Please share your thoughts in the comments if you feel called.
What storms are you currently in the midst of? What storms have your survived?
What would it feel like to move through storms moment by moment instead of using all of your energy trying to rush to the conclusion?
What are some areas in your life you can stop flapping or pushing so hard?
Also- this poem, “She Let Go” by Rev. Safire Rose, has been one I have gone back to over and over again for several years now. Highly recommend it.
Love the image of the “sky rats” letting go and trusting. I didn’t realize they were called that, or did you beautifully make it up? A great reminder, thank you.