Owl be seeing you…

Today, someone gave me an owl. Not a live owl, but a facsimile made from a rock. How could that be any better? I love owls and I love rocks. It is like two for the price of one. The gift was too sweet. And of course… it made me think.

Yep. I think owls are such incredible animals. In so many different ways. There are a lot to choose from. Who knew, who, who, that there were around 200 different owl species. But no matter the variation in breed, you can always tell an owl is an owl… when you look them in the face. They have those freakishly large eyes… and a gangster flat face. Then… there is the thing about their necks. Or whatever they have in there. Their heads can turn all creepy Linda-Blair-Exorcist. Most of them spin around to 270 degrees.

Owls come in all sizes. From the bitsy to the thugsy. The tiniest owl in the world is the Elf Owl. Its little pencil mark on the wall in the kitchen is 5 inches tall. They only weigh about 1 ½ ounces. That is bitty. The big-bubba is the Great Gray Owl… at 32 inches tall.

They are great hunters too. Most owls hunt insects, small mammals, and other birds. Or even fish. Owls even hunt other owls. Which is somehow upsetting to me. Great Horned Owls are the top predator of the smaller Barred Owl. And then there is the Barn Owl. They swallow their prey whole…. all of it….. the skin, bones, and all. They love mouse snacks too. They eat up to 1,000 mice each year.

Of course, they are nocturnal. And British. Well… a group of Owls is called a Parliament. Actually, they are called this because it originated from C.S. Lewis’ book, The Chronicles of Narnia. That is what he called the Meeting of the Owls. A Parliament.

Beyond the physical world, the Owls have significant meaning in symbology and spirituality.

The owl spirit animal is said to be…. suggestive of a deep connection with wisdom. And intuitive knowledge. It also represents the ability to see what’s usually hidden to most.

There are many symbolic meanings for the owls. Wisdom. Knowledge. Intuition. They also signal some sort of change in your life. Or. The ability to see beyond deceit. They represent the ability to “see the big picture” too.

Most mornings, when I am in my office at 4 a.m., I can hear on owl outside my window. Always asking Who.  They never ask what, or why, or how. But Who. Again and again. Who.

It makes me think they have the intuition about the bigger picture of our existence. The fact that all of us…. from humans to the mice that owls eat… are connected. We are all a part of the ripple effect. Just think about the cup of coffee you drank this morning, and how many people, and beings, have come into contact with that single item. Think hard. This is true for every moment of our lives.

Yes. We are all a drop in this great big ocean of the Universe. And we need to be responsible for our part. Making this life, this world, this existence a better place. It is totally up to us, in each moment. I’m pretty sure. That’s Who.

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There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning. — Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work. — A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

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Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. — Saint Francis de Sales

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