Death & Wisdom

My favorite movie characters tend to be of the wise old teacher variety. Obi Wan from Star Wars and Rafiki from The Lion King are definitely two of my favorites. I guess it’s only natural then that the bird I’m drawn to the most is an owl. 

In early folklore owls represented wisdom and possessed powers of prophecy, traits I definitely respect. Oh yeah, owls are also associated with -thunderclap- death! Maybe it’s my Italian heritage, but I tend to be a bit superstitious. I used to be afraid to embrace my love of owls. I thought maybe it would bring on bad luck, or possibly even death. As irrational as that sounds I think it was simply the manifestation of my deeper fear of death.

Now that owls are considered kitsch, and on everything, I’ve lightened up on my ominous view of them. I have swung the pendulum back to seeing them as the wise creatures they are. However, that got my thinking about the middle ground. There is a vast range between wisdom and death. Death is the ultimate mystery, and no one here on earth, no matter how wise, can fully grasp it. 

Though I’ve just dipped my toe into the ocean of reflecting on death and dying I’m excited to venture out a bit more from shore. I invite you to come in with me. The water's fine.  

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