The night my father died I lay in bed heartbroken as I listened (incredulously) to the sound of an owl hooting outside my bedroom window. I’ve often wondered if the calming sound of his hoot wasn’t coincidental. I don’t have a definitive answer to what happens in the afterlife but I do believe in the cycle of life and have a tendency to attach meaning to almost everything. Consequently, I began to think of owls as a metaphor. What was that owl trying to tell me?

Birds of prey have always captured my attention, but owls are particularly interesting. There are over 220 species of owls, several, including the Great Horned Owl, live just a few blocks from my house in San Francisco's Presidio. Notoriously stealth hunters, owls are elusive during the day and live a solitary life. They have an incredible ability to sit still for long periods of time, in part due to their plumage and natural ability to blend into their environment. Owls’ flight wings have serrated edges that allow them to fly almost silently, another hunting advantage. I admire how owls take only what they need. (They swallow prey whole and regurgitate undigested parts in the form of pellets.) While their eyes are fixed in their sockets, they can rotate their heads 270 degrees, giving them a unique range of perspective, unlike any other bird of prey. This notion of expanded perspective really resonates for me. Now in my 40s, I’m recognizing how little I truly know and how much more there is to learn. I am working to not only broaden my own perspective, but to seek and value different points of view and resist my natural tendency to judge others. (This isn’t easy for a girl who used to think she knew everything.)

Recently, I rediscovered journal writing and am reminded of how writing inherently awakens ones senses and creates a means for finding inspiration and paying closer attention to everything. While journaling can be enough for some, my writing needed more structure and discipline. Writing this blog is a natural extension of that and simply a way for me to continue to seek inspiration and broaden my perspective. I admit to feeling fearful of putting myself out there, but really, what's worth doing that doesn't require a little courage and vulnerability?

Maybe that owl was sent to my window for a reason after all; to remind me to be more like him. Live simply, but boldly. Practice stillness. Make an impact, quietly. Adapt to (and embrace) change. Notice everything. Value perspectives.

In other words, start writing a blog?