The story of the girl who found out she was an eagle...

She had been reminded a few years before that she was an eagle; that she loved to soar above the mountains and aim for the highest peaks, that she dreaded the idea of staying in the low valleys for too long; but she didn't believe it. She was too scared to show her strength, to stand out and spread her wings, show her true colours, her own Song. All her life she was looking for the love and approval of others to make life in the valleys more bearable; that's what happens when you ignore the calling of your spirit. From as far back a she can remember she tiptoed through life so that she wouldn't make any noise, so that she wouldn't upset anyone, always remembering to say thank you, sorry, twice in every sentence if possible, and when a little voice inside cried out and wanted to be heard, she would reach for whatever she could find to push it back down again. A cigarette, a chocolate, the possibility of another love letter on the horizon; she did everything she could to stifle that little voice, to make it go away... As the years passed, the need to be loved and nurtured became stronger and stronger, Love was calling out to her, so she started looking for it wherever she went... One day she came across a garden, a beautiful garden. The flowers and trees there were full of life and colour, the sweet scent of roses permeating the air, the leaves of every plant greener than she had ever seen before. It was always warm in this secret garden, a nurturing breeze always drifting through it. All the people and animals who would come to this garden were kind and peaceful, always happy to see her there, always ready to offer a gentle, encouraging word, a home-baked bite to eat, an invigorating stroll too discover this serene landscape. As the days and then years passed in this garden she started to get a sense of what it feels like to be home, to be at peace, to feel safe. These were precious years. But this garden, no matter how beautiful and peaceful, could not sing her Song for her, she realised she couldn't rely on it for the rest of her life. Something in her heart resonated deeply with the garden, but as the years passed another landscape started calling her away from this serenity, a passion, a fire, an energy so wild that she wouldn't even dare to dream of bringing that into this secret garden. She fought it for a long time, pretended it wasn't there. The spark would appear suddenly seemingly out of nowhere, but she kept telling herself that she needed to be grateful for this beauty and peace that she has found and she was determined to not let anything upset that peace, especially not something that was so deep and dark and scary, as she thought back then. The gardener was a kind and beautiful soul and taught her many many valuable lessons on how to be patient, how to nurture the plants, how to look after the ones that weren't well, how to be spontaneous and ready for adventure to explore new lands. He showed her a glimpse of what unconditional love might look like, what a quiet, sensible life might feel like, but their connection started to wither slowly as her passion started burning stronger and stronger and could no longer be ignored. They tried to rebuild that connection by flying off to faraway lands together, but she was realising more and more that life was calling her elsewhere, to find her other eagle as was later revealed to her. She opened the gate of the garden and stepped out, not having the slightest idea what the unknown would hold, where the road would lead, but trusting that the voice now growing stronger and stronger inside her was calling her somewhere worth going... She still remembers the feelings of emptiness and fear, fixed with an excitement at the prospect of freedom and a new sense of strength emerging from deep within. Her wings were a bit weak and rusty from staying closed for so long, but they were much stronger than she had expected. She started following the path that was unfolding in front of her and without realising it, those rusty wings had flown her to a stunning peak, one higher and more breathtaking than she had ever seen before. And there, perched upon that peak was her eagle, or so she thought. This must be him, no doubt she remembers thinking. The moment their eyes met, that passion that she had been stifling for so long came to life and filled every inch of her body and soul. A sense of familiarity filled the air, like recognising an old friend from long long ago, a sense of a deep, everlasting connection, an energy too irresistable to fight, all she could do was surrender to it and follow the calling and trust that she had chosen the right path. Their early days together were filled with magical adventures with so many shared passions, strawberry skies, the rhythm and power of African drums and exhilirating dancing, rediscovering their birthplaces together with fresh eyes, joyful cycling, running, playing, freedom to love, to move to sing, to appreciate music and films and arts and science, anything seemed possible in those days... This was everything she had ever been looking for, she couldn't even imagine it being any other way. The light in their eyes shining like the starriest night, like two shooting stars making their way across the sky towards each other. This is how it felt back then... ....