My muse and friend, the owl.

The time has really come for me to talk about my muse and friend the owl. Which owl would that be? All owls inspire me and infuse me with an energy that empowers me just by being in their presence, but the one that stands out the most is the great horned owl. If you have been a reader of my blogs, you know that I was born into a family that ran a rehabilitation center for wildlife. The animals that came to us were injured, or abandoned or babies and unless injury prevented it, the goal was to raise or rehabilitate and then release them back into the wild. We had many owls and hawks that had been shot or otherwise injured and would never leave which we had in flight cages.

But these ones were not the reason for my connection. As a kid, I had a hard time fitting in and I was over sensitive to bullying which I was often a recipient of. I would just run away. One day I remember running into my room and slamming the door and the feeling inside my chest was so overpowering, now I know that to be a panic attack, then I just thought I was gonna die. I was in the middle of my room when I heard a loud cawing sound getting louder and louder. I ran to the window and saw crows chasing a great horned owl and he swooped down and landed on a branch literally 10 feet from my window and stood at eye level and just stared at me. All my thoughts now were turned to this owl as it stayed with me while being dive bombed by irrational screaming crows. I felt so bad for him and I thought- I know how you feel!!!  I felt that what was happening to him was exactly what I was going through, and yet the owl was not afraid, did not flinch when the crows dive bombed him and landed all around him on other branches just screaming. He stayed for many long minutes and waited, I felt, with me.

All I can tell you is something was transferring between me and this owl. An unspoken conversation, a friendship, a kinship, an understanding. And as I relaxed into ignoring the crows and staring into his eyes he suddenly took off with all those nasty crows ensuing him and I waited till I could not hear them anymore. An overwhelming calm had settled into my soul and I felt brave. The panic was gone, the power was in me and I knew I could not tell anyone because they would only think I was was weirder than they already thought I was. It was then I knew I was special, not weird.

I would rather have this connection with the animal world and be considered strange or unbelievable than to go through life missing what nature teaches me every day. Since that day I have had 4 such encounters with owls through my life and many other times when I was in need of strength when an owl suddenly swoops down in front of me.  Believe me or not, it is my gift which I believe will always be with me. And for this, I am eternally grateful!!

The Sarah Hale Folger Project seeks to inspire greatness in humanity by sharing inspiring stories with the world. Please contact me here on my blog or through my website at http://www.SarahHaleFolger.com

Sarah Hale Folger is a Creative Consultant, Blogger, Artist & Singer. PLEASE make sure to subscribe to my blog today so you never miss the next thing happening in the world the way I see it! Please feel free to comment, share and subscribe to my blog!!! Thanks!!