They didn't fly up in the sky (or I had missed them doing so). Instead, as one flew up in the sky, this pure white dove did so only mid-way and had come through the trees towards me and landed ever so briefly on my arm from my left side. It startled me a little, but even so, I think I was more amazed as I reached up and was able to brush my fingers down his back and off of the tail feathers. At that very moment, I felt like the bird lady in the Mary Poppins movie where this lady was sitting and had many, many birds flying around her, with the image of one being on her arm and her looking up at the bird. Of course, that was how it felt like, although there was only one bird on my arm ever so briefly. Afterwards it flew down on the ground in front of me and walked around on the ground for a bit until a couple allll-most stepped on it because they were walking without looking down to the ground, where it flew off to the area behind me. The sensation was so much similar to that only folks who have had pet birds land on their arms could understand -- especially in a world where most of us have cats or dogs show such love to human beings.
Am I reading much more into it than I should? Well, it is my own feelings that I own, even if for split moments of time, that seemed much longer in a timeframe than they weren't actually. Who could possibly deny me my own feelings?
In real life, there are those that seem to strive to take that joy away and seem to bent on making sure that you feel as much sorrow, pain, hurt that they are themselves experiencing, effectively saying "if I can't experience happiness, then you won't either". Pastor Joel Olsteen from the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, always preaches about, "Don't let someone take your joy away." Fortunately, I didn't have anyone take my joy away today. In the past, when I had been in abusive relationships, I had fallen into that trap, until I finally stood up and said effectively, "You are never going to take my joy again and have me live in misery." It was liberating when I said that to each abusive relationship; and, even though I had multiple abusive relationships, I finally felt the extreme liberation when I finally listened to my intuitions and stayed away from those that even raised the hairs on my back (whether or not those feelings were real or just perceived, I wasn't going to take a step further in those perspective relationships any more).
After all, life is just much too short. You must surround yourself by positive people - whether it is is in your personal life or work life. Your loved ones can be taken away from in an instant, and it is so much more important to surround yourself by family and friends who are positive influences (or even those who you are a postive influence upon as a mentor/friendship relationship, after the positivism is something that is worthy of moving in circles/waves throughout the world). Even then, though, you need to know when it is time to move on, especially when you see that relationship faltering and is taking a toll on your own health.
While folks that we love, cherish, and admire are our role models in our lives, if they are taking a toll on our health, then also must be prepared to let them go. At some point, you have to take you your first and foremost concern. After all, if your health isn't taken in the first priority, then you can no longer provide that same positive influence that you hope that you are to them. It is equally important to be able to, also, "Let go and Let God" as many al-anon folks learn when they are caregiving for someone that they love and, yet, their loved one is so very destructive to them ownselves.
Peace. Joy. Happiness.
These are emotions that folks will experience at various points in their lives. To experience these things is a wish that we wish that everyone will be able to experience at some point in their lives, and maybe one day everyone (whether in our own personal circles, in our community circles, and/or global communities) will all get to experience in their lives, no matter the degree of joy that has been taken away from their lives to this day in the past. Hopefully, one day, we will see the grace of our higher powers bring peace and joy to all -- and, hopefully, in our lifetime.
In the meantime, it is our hopes and dreams that all who die will experience peace, joy, happiness in their after lives; to me, I believe that it is when their souls reach the doors of heaven. For all those that remain here own earth, I hope that (no matter the pain and sorrow that one has had in the past journey of their lives) they, too, can seek peace, joy, and happiness here on earth through their journey of healing; at least, that is my own hopes and prayers!
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