Theme: Fear, overcoming

The heron and the wind

Gaia was a young heron, beautiful, with white feathers and elongated legs. She lived in a pond with other herons, like her. But she had a difference from the others. She didn't like the wind.

While all the herons took advantage of the wind to play, fly higher and venture out, Gaia stayed still, huddled, with her back to the wind, scared, waiting for it to pass.

When the wind was strong, she felt her feathers move, her body sway. She hated it. It felt like a tease. If she didn't close her wings tightly, the wind could get under them and throw her off balance.

One day, an older heron, noticing the young lady's distress, went to talk to her:

- What is it, my dear, why are you like this?

- The day was great, but I already felt a cold breeze. I think the weather will change and start that wind that I don't like it.

- Gaia, I've noticed that you always want to run away from the wind, cringing, hiding, keeping your back to it.

- Of course, if I could, I would turn it off - replied the young heron, scared.

- But, did you know that facing the wind head on that we can take off or land better, more safely?

Gaia didn't know that. For her, the wind only got in the way. She stared at the older heron, waiting for more information.

The other heron continued:

- When it's windy, if I'm like you, on my back, all curled up, I'll be uncomfortable too. If I want to take off like this, I might even lose my balance and injure myself. So, what I do is turn to the wind, face it head on and spread my wings wide. Then it's a delight! I hardly need to push! The wind, sustains me, under my wings, lifts me up and takes me for a stroll. Then up there, I turn around and it pushes me so I can fly fast, wherever I want. When it's time to go down, I turn around again, facing it and it helps me balance, so I can go down very slowly. It's very good! I wish you could feel it, one day!

- Me too! - replied the little heron, saddened - I don't know why I'm like that.

- Everything has a reason, a cause, doesn't it, my dear? You may not remember, but you may have been startled by some wind, or been impressed by someone's report. Or even getting hurt when you were little. Everything is possible. But what matters is that whatever it is, it's over. And what you have to live for is now, which can be different and even better than you imagine. Think about it, my little friend, and good luck with the wind next time it comes.

The older heron moved away, went to catch a fish to eat. And Gaia stood there, thinking about what they had talk about.

Maybe it wasn't the best thing for her to be trying to withstand the wind, with her back to it, for the rest of her life. Maybe the wind did have a good side.

Gaia could not change overnight. But just thinking that the wind might not be so bad, it might not be wanting to tease her, but rather help her, as it did with the others, she already felt cooler.

At first, she had her back to it, but now she wasn't so afraid anymore. Then she started to spread her wings and play with letting herself go, falling once in a while. She also began to observe how the others did. This also helped her, as, perceiving their confidence, she also felt encouraged.

And so, little by little, after a long time, but always trying a little more, Gaia was leaving that suffering behind. Until one fine day, she realized that she was managing to do what the older heron did.

She'd faced the wind head-on, walked with it, and most importantly, she was feeling great. With commitment, courage, and the help of time, Gaia was finally able to overcome her difficulty.

We can all do like her when we encounter a challenge in life. We just have to remember that God will always give us the resources, but without forgetting that He does not dismiss us from having the will of winning. 

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com