Professor
Bump
World
Literature
October
16, 2012
The Beauty of the Dove
Nelly
Furtado phrased it beautifully when she sang: ŌIÕm like a bird, IÕll only fly
away.Ķ The lyrics, short and sweet as they may be, resonate with my soul. When
IÕm feeling lost in spirit, or restricted by the responsibilities of my life, I
just want to fly high and far away like the birds do so seemingly effortlessly.
ThereÕs just something about birds being the only animals that can fly that
makes me want to escape the humdrum of life with them. As Miranda Bruce-Mitford
notes in her book The Illustrated Book of
Signs and Symbols, Ōthere is a widespread and ancient belief that after
death, the soul leaves the body in the form of a bird. Consequently the bird is
a symbol of the spirit.Ķ[1] Although
I believe this is true, in my case, it appears that the bird came to my soul a
little early in life in the form of a spirit guide.
As I closed my eyes at the start of meditation, I was transported to a
beautiful clearing at the break of day. The iridescent sun, radiating blood
oranges, reds, and vibrant yellows, beamed from a distance, announcing the
arrival of dawn. Light dew made its presence on the infinite blades of grass,
forming droplets that reflected the newness of the day. The clearing was wide
open, with beautiful tall trees surrounding it and wild purple flowers growing
free in the field. Amongst the trees a few squirrels scampered restlessly,
their little hands earnestly holding prized acorns to their mouths. The sound
of rustling branches and crunching leaves on the forest floor echoed throughout
the silence of the morning, but all was hidden in the protection of the forest.
That is, until the beautiful dove came gliding from the heavensÉ
I fly from far off, the iridescent sun glimmering at my back as I alternate
between strong, powerful swoops of my lustrous wings, and moments of simply
gliding amongst the breezes, listening to the whistling of the wind. I feel at
peace; I fluctuate between work and rest, and feel at one with the powers of
the wind and sky. I allow the wind to rush through my soft white wings,
ruffling them, as it lifts me up, and brings me down. Some fight the powers of
the wind—they are strong, and can easily change my course. But I simply
allow them to guide me, and use them as my strength. I can always return to my
course when the winds are more favorable; if they do not allow me to pass at
the moment I know it is for good reason. Besides, I enjoy exploring other
routes anyway. I love the open air; the beautiful blue sky calms me and beckons
me to spread my wings and fly free. Before I take off, I stretch my wings out
as far as I can, flap them intensely in preparation, and then soar. The white
clouds and a few fellow birds are my only neighbors in this realm, but at dawn,
I am alone with the sky, the sun, the wind, and the earth. I am at peace with
my being and my place in this world, and want to share my serenity with those
in disharmony. As I continue my flight, I know that I am not large in stature,
but I do not seek power. I seek happiness, serenity, and love. My wings are not
the largest or most powerful, but I can fly as high as others. My beak isnÕt as
strong as othersÕ, but I am content with my fruit that I consume. I am not the best
at everything, but I am as best as I can be, and I am content with that. I care
about love and happiness, not power or accomplishment. I am simply happy being
as I am. I long to share my inner peace with my fellow creatures. The lion,
hungry for power, the squirrel, always worrisome about the next meal, and the
human being, seemingly tangled in the complexities of life, could benefit from
my gifts. As I fly high in the sky, I may be small, but I can view all that is
below me. I see the world in perspective, which many of my fellow creatures are
unable to do. I see the struggles of a mother deer giving birth, and the
worries of a duckling who has lost her mother. I see these things in relation
to one another, and can put them in perspective. Above all, I see the beauty of
the earth beneath meÉ
IÕve always felt a special connection to birds, whether it was talking to and
playing with my Eclectus parrot, Milo, during my childhood or laying outside in
the Ozarks of Arkansas, secluded from everything but the beauty of nature,
gazing up at the trees and massive sky and listening to birds chirp as I
watched them effortlessly glide through the clouds. Even as a child, I remember
feeling a sense of appreciation for these beautiful creatures, as well as a
sense of longing for their lives that seemed to be filled with purity,
simplicity, and freedom. Apparently, my spirit animal believed I needed to
learn some of these traits as well.
According to the International Ornithological Congress, there are at least
10,448 different species of birds, yet amongst them all, it was the snow white
feathers of the dove that came to me from my meditation. [2]She flew
from far off, the iridescent sun glimmering, her pure white form gliding
seemingly effortlessly over the dew-covered field towards me, her silky soft
white feathers fluttering in the breeze. She did not make much noise, like many
of the other birds do, but I knew she had a message for me. She radiated
feelings of peace and tranquility, and beautified simplicity, consistency, and
innocence, while also maintaining a curiosity for life. Her small eyes darted
around, and I understood that she knew much about the world from her travels
and her experiences. She took in her surroundings while maintaining
perseverance to accomplish her mission. Her wings alternated between strong,
powerful flapping and easy gliding, and she moved with the wind. While she came
to me alone, she did not seem lonely. She seemed at home with all the animals
in the clearing, and they embraced who she was, appreciating what she brought
to the world. Looking at this beautiful creature, who seemed to float through
the clouds and traverse the medium between heavens and Earth, I admired her,
and longed to share her inherent ability to spread her wings and fly free, high
above the ground. I long for the ability to cut off the constraints that are
tying me down.
Doves have long been used to carry messages to human beings. In the story of
NoahÕs Ark in Genesis, Noah sends a dove forth, and twice she returns to him
without any sign of having reached land. After she returns to him with an olive
branch in her mouth after the third time he set her off, Noah was able to know
that the waters from the flood were receding, which eased his anxiety. [3]According
to Arnold Whittick in his book Symbols,
Signs and their Meaning, the dove with an olive branch in its beak Ōis a
popular symbol, and in religious art obviously conveys the idea that after the
troubles of this life death ends anxiety, bringing peace and security in the
mercy of God and the future life.Ķ[4]
According to Udo Becker in The Element Encyclopedia of Symbols, the dove is not
only sacred in Christianity, but was also so to Aphrodite in ancient Greek
mythology as well as in Islam, because Ō[the dove] supposedly protected
Mohammed during his flight.Ķ[5] But
although the dove is considered a protector and a sacred being, why did it come
to me as my spirit animal? Why do I need to learn the qualities of the dove
more so than any other animal?
I believe the chief characteristic that my spirit animal aims to teach me is
the ability to let go and to free myself from my personal constraints. I have
always been an exceptionally motivated and ambitious individual, but this has
often led to feelings of unhappiness that weigh me down when I fail to attain
my high-set goals and my inability to accept my own limitations only
exacerbates this unhappiness. As IÕve noted in previous blogs, IÕm also
extremely stubborn and resistant to change. Change is synonymous with terror in
my mind, and although IÕve attempted to make Gail SheehyÕs quote, ŌIf we donÕt
change, we donÕt grow. If we donÕt grow, we arenÕt really livingĶ my motto to
live by, I still react to change with fierce opposition. However, the dove, who
has the ability to spread its wings and fly anywhere, while still maintaining
an affinity to return to its home, may be trying to teach me that I should
embrace the changes surrounding me, and spread my wings to fly and seize these
new opportunities. IÕve always dreamed of picking up everything IÕve owned and
moving to a new city, maybe even in a foreign country. While this has always
been a dream of mine, seeing how obstinate IÕve been to moving a mere three
hours away from home, I honestly donÕt know if I could do it. And what a shame
that is. My own inability to embrace change is stifling my chance to reap the
rewards of fabulous opportunities that the world has to offer. I realized today
that IÕve always wanted to go on a road trip across the country, and to live in
a foreign city, and to go sky diving, among countless other things that are
spontaneous, fun, and free-spirited. But my own personality of being afraid to
branch out and do something that IÕve never done before is preventing me from
chasing my dreams. That is why I believe the dove, who flies free but always
knows how to get home, is trying to show me that I need to follow my dreams. I
need to spread my wings and chase my passions, and at least give myself a
chance to soar.
In matters of leadership, the dove also has many things to teach me. I
remember back in elementary school, one day I came home upset because some kids
had called me bossy. Much to my dismay, my mom had to explain to me that there
is a difference between being a leader and being bossy, and that I was
exemplifying the latter. As IÕm sure many of my fellow Type-A personality
friends can relate, IÕve always had trouble relinquishing control in a group
situation. I always want to be in charge; to micro-manage other peopleÕs work.
But this is incredibly counter-productive, and not a trait of a good leader. In
fact, sometimes the best leaders arenÕt those who manage, but those who lead by
example and especially those who know when to release the reigns and take a
step back and follow someone else. The dove exemplifies this beautifully.
Unlike its fellow avian relatives who exemplify power as they soar through the
air, such as the hawk or eagle, the dove is not known to be the most powerful
bird. As the dove states in Steven FarmerÕs Power
Animals, Ōmy power is obviously not in my diminutive stature, shyness, or
silly walk—neither is yours. Yet itÕs a type of power that surpasses the
illusory power of anger, aggression, vengeance, greed, competition, and
spitefulness. Even though itÕs quieter, gentler, and not always immediately
apparent, itÕs the most potent force that any human being can experienceÉLove.Ķ[6]
In fact,
doves have long been symbols of love and fidelity, and Ōmost species of pigeons
and doves are monogamous, a single male breeds with a single female during the
breeding season.Ķ [7]The dove
is admired for her steadfastness and constancy, as well as her gentle domineer
and purity of soul. Others admire her not because sheÕs brute in force or sheer
power, but simply because she is beautiful as she is and does not try to be
what she is not.
There is a reason that the company Dove and the organization Greenpeace use the
dove as their emblem. Dove, which has started a campaign to redefine what
beautiful means, and Greenpeace, which works effortlessly to save the
environment, both know the power of the dove as an emblem of beauty,
persistence, tenacity, peace, love, and purity. In fact, the idea of the purity
of the dove goes as far back as the baptism of Jesus. Matthew 3:16 says ŌAnd
when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the
heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and coming to rest on him.Ķ[8] In Christianity,
baptism is a kind of rebirth, so the fact that the Spirit of God descended down
almost like a dove during JesusÕ baptism seems to enhance the importance of the
dove in the rebirth of Christians.
Doves are beautiful, pure creatures. They are sacred in many countries,
cultures, and religions, and they have much to teach us about our world. In
their physical realm alone they are closer to the heavens than we can be whilst
on earth. Doves fly free and without bound, but are loyal to their home. These
beautiful creatures are known for unyielding affection and represent innocence,
soul, peace, love, and fidelity, making them beautiful Earthlings to try to
emulate. My spirit animal came to me because she knows that I need her. As her
main quality is serenity, itÕs only appropriate that I seek her help when Ō[I]
feel troubled, worried, distraught, anxious, or upset, and [I] need to bring
peace and calmness into [my] life.Ķ[9] I need
to learn to let go of my limitations, to follow my passions and embrace change
and appreciate its opportunities, and to unravel the complexities of my life
and be happy with the simple, pure things that make up the core. I know I have
much to learn, but for now, like I did in my childhood, IÕm just going to lie
down, look up at the massive sky, and watch the birds.
Word
Count:
With
Quotes: 2488
Without
Quotes: 2243
List
of Illustrations:
1)
The birds seem to come from the earth. They are at
one with nature; they are at home in the trees and in the sky. [10]
[1] Courtesy
of Pinterest.com
2)
The beautiful flight of the doves at dawn. [11]
[1] ] http://www.google.com/imgres?q=doves+flying+into+sunrise&hl=en&authuser=0&biw=873&bih=639&tbm=isch&tbnid=ErfxY2NrqkIr_M:&imgrefurl=http://fineartamerica.com/featured/birds-flying-at-sunrise-joe-granita.html&docid=AOvDdORmfvdYDM&imgurl=http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/birds-flying-at-sunrise-joe-granita.jpg&w=900&h=695&ei=1dN8UP30JsfM2AXa3IHIAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=593&vpy=153&dur=1997&hovh=197&hovw=256&tx=170&ty=81&sig=118000812166720889065&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=242&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:74
[1]
http://myrivierawedding.com/2010/01/24/wedding-dove-release/
3)
My bird Milo and I have always had a special
connection.
4) Doves are
often released at weddings, a tribute to their association with love and
fidelity. [12]
[1] http://myrivierawedding.com/2010/01/24/wedding-dove-release/