The Wise Old Owl

There once was a wise old owl who had many scars and many ruffled feathers from his younger years where he had traveled and learned many things from the world. Now he was tired but with the knowledge he had learned he came back to his home forest and made the biggest nest in the largest tree and that is where all the forest animals came to visit him for advice, tea or just to rest in the very large and welcoming nest of their neighbor Mr. Owl. He would share stories of his youth and help whoever he could help with advice of what he had learned along the way. One day, it was a beautiful Spring day when all the other young forest animals were out finding mates but he saw a young doe on the forest floor. She called up to him, "Mr. Owl...Mr. Owl?" so he flew down to greet her. Perching on a nearby branch he said "Yes, my dear. Hhhooww do you dooo?" The young doe then began to cry saying, "Oh, Mr. Owl! I've tried to find love and I just can't! The first buck abandoned me and left me in the cold. The second treated me lovely for a time but then turned cold and heartless. Is it me? Will I ever find love? What do I do? Is there such a thing as forever?" Mr. Owl old and wise as he was took his time in answering and let the young doe cry her tears then said "There, there child...tell me. When you go by the water's edge whose reflection is it that you see?" Puzzled the young doe answered "Well,...mine." Mr. Owl said, "Yes, and so you see that is where you must first find love. Once you have learned and loved all the parts of you then you can love another truly. You also begin to realize that perhaps those other bucks who left you lonely and abandoned and treated you poorly were lacking something within themselves." The young doe stood dumbfounded a moment then asked, "So, what should I do Mr. Owl?" Mr. Owl smiled broadly then said, "Live, love freely, give to others but only when you feel your cup is full enough to do so but most of all love yourself and love your Creator." The young doe felt very enlightened by this and more hopeful but still sad that the other two loves had not worked out. She said Mr. Owl, " I just wish I knew why things went the way they went. Could I have done anything differently?" Mr. Owl pulled out his pipe, lit it up and began to smoke on it a bit and said "My dear young doe you are dwelling on the past and the what if's and that will never do. Nothing good will come of that. If the Creator means for growth to happen and change happens in one or both of you and one of your ex lovers and the Creator sees fit you be together again it will be but until then the focus should be on the present and yourself. You should focus on whoo you are... answer that question and then you may return to old Mr. Owl for some tea and biscuits." The young doe still seemed a bit perplexed but she understood his meaning and said "Thank you Mr. Owl as you've been most helpful today in setting my feet on the straight and narrow." But by the time she had got done speaking Mr. Owl had begun to fly away already saying "Your welcome my dear and goodbye for noww." She smiled and the first thing she did was go to the creek which was close to Mr. Owl's tree and watch her reflection for a while as she sat and pondered the many things of life and suddenly she smiled as she knew what she must do next. She would frolic and play and love and live and let romance come to her if it so wished.