BLUE HERON'S TRAIL

Spent the day yesterday, walking the Blue Heron Trail. It wasn’t a preplanned event, but it was the way my heart told me to go. And of course, the first thing  to greet me when I arrived at the marsh was the blue heron. 

 

The wind off the marsh was strong and made it hard for me to stand perfectly still, unlike the heron, who stood motionless, unmoved by the winds. It just stood there, peering deep into the water.

Though my heart was greatly drawn to the silent strength this bird was exhibiting, I was not as focused as the heron was, and was seeking shelter from the wind that was making it hard for me to even walk across the bridge.

I headed across the bridge to the other side, where there were many trails to explore. As I approached the other side, the thunder of the wind was silenced by a greater thunder - a shriek, which took me by surprise. A greater blue heron flew above me, calling, and as I watched it fly over, I noticed it flew in the direction of a path called The Blue Heron Trail. It wanted me to follow. It had called to me, so I would not miss where it wanted me to go.

 

So I chose to pursue my friend down the trail honoring its name and this encounter had me thinking even deeper. 

I walked, lost in thought, only to be brought around again by  other blue herons standing motionless, peering into the depths. Each heron I saw was deeper into the water than the one before it.

Emotions are a fluid thing, like the waters. There are times when it is necessary for us to look deeper into those emotional waters and examine closely what is there. It is necessary for healthy growth, to recognize what is there, what should be there and is not,  and what does not even belong there. It is a time to look honestly at the heart through the cloud of emotions and understand the reason(s) for the things we feel and align these feelings once again with truth.

 

I have been taught that the deeper the heron stands in water, the deeper our self-reflections should be. The heron is a good teacher in this way. It is a solitary bird, an intensely focused bird. It can teach us the way of quiet strength and self discovery as we look deeper into ourselves.

 

It takes great courage and focus to face our emotions sometimes. For the emotions can be tricky as much as they are delicate. In the deeper, clear waters much is seen:

like examining the places where the wings of the heart have been torn;

 

Or facing the pains of being pulled apart where we have felt vulnerable and exposed;

Or recognizing and understanding our motives that disguise themselves as something else;

 

Or feeling taken advantage of and trampled underfoot;

No matter how difficult it is to sort through emotional debris at times, the encouraging thing is that there is always room to continue growing.

By coming to the place where our feelings and truth align and balance, the heart will find a way.

It is often a slow process …

But the heron invites us into the deeper waters of reflection and encourages us to focus …

to take the time to sit motionless and examine ourselves from within, until all that reflects back at us, is pure beauty.