by Carla Dippel…
It was the epitome of winter in Calgary, Alberta today. As I drove north on the outskirts of the city late in the afternoon, the landscape was white, the sky was white turning to cold grey, the wind looked white. It was cold. The highway was icy, power poles passed by my car windows, frosted, tall, seeming to lean in the wind. A cold, blustery, winter day. I was therefore surprised to look upwards through my windshield and see a V of geese, pointed south west, moving through the sky. Another set followed close behind, and then another.
My first thought was, “why are you guys so late?? It’s January already!!” We’ve already had at least 2 dips of extreme cold so far this winter. Maybe their clocks were a bit late… My second thought was (and I grin to reveal my naiveté), “And WHY would you be starting your journey so late in the day????”
It only took me a few seconds to step back and realize that, wait a second, their journey did not necessarily just begin! These little flappers could have been journeying all day from somewhere much farther northeast, and most likely had been. Perhaps Calgary was their final destination for the evening, their itinerary including a restful bob on the misty unfrozen waters of the Bow River.
I purport that there’s no shame in being naive if you are especially good at learning from yourself. In my split second moment of realization, I also saw a bigger lesson. The power of context. My 5 second snapshot of these geese’s journey was not the whole story. It began long ago. Perhaps the reason why they were flying so late is a whole other story in itself. Maybe they thought they could ride out the cold temperatures, but changed their minds after minus 40 degrees Celsius hit… Perhaps if I knew all the bits of their story, I would have stopped my car and got out to cheer on their flight with awe and tearful enthusiasm!
And, as I love to do, I brought my realization one step further, to myself. How easy is it to look at one moment in our lives and scrutinize it, judge it as “poor” or lacking in some way. I have done this to myself more than I care to count. A snapshot of my journey in one isolated moment may not say much to the objective eye. But when I gather around it the context of my past, all that I have come through to get here, and peer forward to see the horizons I have cast my sights on and the direction I am going, I am encouraged, grateful and that much more respectful of exactly where I am today.
An excellent bit to keep in mind as I begin a new year of flight. And may my little flapper friends find their destination in good time.
About the Author:
Carla Dippel is a long time writer, passionate about describing the inner journey towards true happiness and drawing from everyday life experiences as her inspiration. She currently writes for the blog Emerging From Broken as well as other endeavors, and loves to cook, dance and spend time with dear friends. She resides in Alberta, Canada.
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