There was once a beautiful delicate bird who fought long and hard to free itself of its shell. When she finally emerged to face the world her beautiful plumage, trilling song and desire to love and be loved, charmed all who came near her. Her talents were many and she shared them freely, but there was one problem, born within her was a tiny seed of fear. She grew and sang her songs and built her nest and family, but as she grew the seed also grew.
Time passed and she became aware of the fear. She fought it bravely, still delighting others with her songs and love. As the fear grew she tried to escape it. She darted here and there paying no attention to the dangers around her. Her wings became tired and heavy and she dropped from flight becoming ensnared in the branches of an ugly thorny tree. Try as she might she could not free herself of its painful grasp. She was trapped alone with the fear, and it thrived and grew strong. All those who loved her pecked and scratched, but could not free her. They all pecked and pecked not willing to give up. The little bird also fought but the branches just grew thicker and stronger. She often lost sight of the others who continued their fight. She grew sad, lonely and almost without hope. The tree and the fear working together to hold her fast.
One day God looked at the suffering little bird, and said ENOUGH!! I shall help her. He sent a powerful bolt of lighting that struck the tree and blew the grasping branches asunder. The impact caused all the other birds to be singed and fall bruised, in pain, and stunned. They drew themselves up from the pain and looked toward the beautiful bird, there she was free--free of both the tree and the fear. Finally free of all the things that had kept her trapped. She was sorry for the pain that the others had felt, working so long and hard for her, but now she was free and feeling something else growing within her. She knew now that she could experience that which she was born to be and the others saw it too. She had to be free to be JOY.
The other birds felt the pain of not having her with them, but they knew that now she was truly, purely, JOY. On quiet days they would think of her and hear her lovely song.
She was free to soar up, up above the clouds full of happiness. Free of the thorny trap, free of the fear and never to feel pain or loneliness again. She was now our JOY.
For my beautiful sister Joyce. Born with the seed of fear. Trapped in the thorny branches of mental illness. Now free to be our JOY.
written by Joys sister, Jan