There's a Zen parable about an old man and a swan; a bird so lovely, he placed it within a glass jar upon the highest shelf, and for all the world to see.
The old man cared dearly for the swan; sharing each day, these lessons of life and of love. And, in order that she may one day know the true joy of her own existence.
But, as the swan grew, she soon became too big for the glass jar. Desperate to keep things just as they were, the old man held her there - fearful that the loveliness of his swan might soon be lost. Though, sadly, what he failed to realize was that - who and what we love eventually grows.
Particularly, when tended with such loving-kindness and care.
In the end, the swan grew too large to be saved; sadly, the only way to finally free her was to shatter that 'jar.'
It's often with good intention that we set out to protect that which we love most of all. But, in doing so - aren't we also placing their heart in a jar?
As Dr. Rachel Remen once asked,
“Is it possible to live so defensively that you never get to live at all?”
Much like the old man, we place our hearts high upon the shelf, never once realizing that...like the baby swan - it, too, will outgrow the limitations of this space.
Until we finally ask ourselves,
"Do we risk what we have, in order to live once again?"
Read more -> "Breaking the Jar." http://wp.me/p48jLy-10e
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