My Teacher

I recently experienced the death of my parrot, Taco that had been with me for 20 years. It took him 5 long days to die and the end was agonizing. But once he was out of his body, he spoke to me. He told me that he could be anywhere and everywhere simultaneously. He could always be with me. He also comforted me by telling me that he had left his body before those last agonizing moments of his body’s life while I watched. I suffered more than he did in those moments. He told me that no matter what I do with my life that I must live it fully and embrace it. He told me never to allow myself to live in the cage of my fears as he lived in his cage. I have been grieving the loss of his physical presence for more than two weeks and I know I am not finished. He was ever present while he was here. He was constantly alert to whatever move or sound I made, and being a parrot, often mimicked my sounds. He would hear and see me pick up my car keys and say “Gotta go” just as I would say to him and the dogs and cat. He would look at me at times and say “Whatcha doin’?” in fact those were the last words I heard him say. There were many other sounds and words he spoke and it made him feel almost half human.

What’s It All About?

His mission in his physical body was finished. He had come to be with me and allow me to grow and now I must go on without him. This brought me to thinking about these physical lives we choose to have over and over and over again, for I believe in reincarnation. It is the only thing that makes sense. And because of Taco’s life in captivity rather than out on the savannah in Africa, I got to thinking of how humans treat other sentient beings on this planet. Not all humans are kind or aware that they are perpetrating horrific acts of violence out of their ignorance onto those they think lesser than themselves. They can change if they choose, but some will not and will return again to learn that same lesson. All life forms are part of Spirit; humans are not the only ones.

How do we learn?

The trophy hunters have to kill until it sickens them before they can stop. The animals serve in that way for human growth the same as those animals who serve as food for our bodies. Things we do out of youth or spiritual immaturity once realized often sicken us. We are appalled and shamed by our behavior, actions and words. Once we realize the error of our ways and wish to change them; we also become aware and conscious of our growth in spirit. Once we have elevated to that level we will never commit those behaviors, actions or words again. They are no longer part of us or our vibration. Earth truly is a place of learning, harsh at times, but constantly beautiful in its expression of spirit. The exhilaration of the physical life, be it in pain or pleasure, is like no other. The experience is exaggerated by physical expression. The amount of growth for the soul is beyond any experience we could attain in spirit alone. Why else would there be need for physical expression of any kind? Physical is both the outward expression and creation of our thoughts, but it is also the space for profound spiritual growth. We choose to live within our own physical creation of All That Is. That is perhaps the most profound gift we can ever expect to receive.

Embrace All of Life

Imagine an artist being given the opportunity to live within their own painting or the composer the chance to live within their own music or the sculptor to become the moving object of their creation. That is what we do each time we take on or are privileged to experience a physical existence. Play with it. Mold it. Give it life. Examine it. Discover it. Consume it. Embrace it. It is yours and yours alone. Taco soared once he left his physical body. He had lived his life fully engaged within the sounds that surrounded him, with the human who cared for him and loved him deeply. He taught me to live my life without cages of ignorance, to be ever alert and fully conscious of life around me. Taco, fly free my friend, you taught me well by your example.

Until next time, Love. Connect. Transform.