BON HIVER!
I've been re-watching one of my all-time favorite TV shows, Northern Exposure, lately. I find that I enjoy shows where I learn something. I would like to share two lessons learned.
The first has to do with the title of this blog. Bon hiver means happy winter in French. As the first snow falls, the people of Cicely, Alaska gather to watch and rejoice and wish each other a bon hiver. Unfortunately, there is no snow in San Jose; however, what we who live in NorCal get to experience that those who are bundled up for the cold don't is the constant blooming of flowers. There are still big, beautiful roses and even morning glories in the midst of what is usually considered a season of hibernation. The resilience of these flowers still amazes me. I do miss that first snowfall, but seeing tiny purple blossoms on a chilly morning is a welcome trade.
The second lesson is a more personal one. Often, on the show, there is a moral to be learned and it is usually related to an Indian legend. My favorite is the legend of the Eagle spirit.
Marilyn, a Tlingit Indian, tells this story:
The eagle wasn't always the eagle.
The eagle, before he became the eagle, was Ukatangi, the talker.
Ukatangi talked and talked. It talked so much, it heard only itself.
Not the river, not the wind, not even the wolf.
The raven came and said, "The wolf is hungry. If you stop talking, you will hear him. The wind, too.
And when you hear the wind, you will fly."
So he stopped talking.
And became it's nature, the eagle.
The eagle soared, and it's flight said all it needed to say.
I feel that I've learned a great deal over this past year, but one of the most important lessons was to try to listen more. It's interesting that, when I am quiet, people assume that there is something wrong. No, there isn't anything wrong. I'm just trying to find my wings.
The first has to do with the title of this blog. Bon hiver means happy winter in French. As the first snow falls, the people of Cicely, Alaska gather to watch and rejoice and wish each other a bon hiver. Unfortunately, there is no snow in San Jose; however, what we who live in NorCal get to experience that those who are bundled up for the cold don't is the constant blooming of flowers. There are still big, beautiful roses and even morning glories in the midst of what is usually considered a season of hibernation. The resilience of these flowers still amazes me. I do miss that first snowfall, but seeing tiny purple blossoms on a chilly morning is a welcome trade.
The second lesson is a more personal one. Often, on the show, there is a moral to be learned and it is usually related to an Indian legend. My favorite is the legend of the Eagle spirit.
Marilyn, a Tlingit Indian, tells this story:
The eagle wasn't always the eagle.
The eagle, before he became the eagle, was Ukatangi, the talker.
Ukatangi talked and talked. It talked so much, it heard only itself.
Not the river, not the wind, not even the wolf.
The raven came and said, "The wolf is hungry. If you stop talking, you will hear him. The wind, too.
And when you hear the wind, you will fly."
So he stopped talking.
And became it's nature, the eagle.
The eagle soared, and it's flight said all it needed to say.
I feel that I've learned a great deal over this past year, but one of the most important lessons was to try to listen more. It's interesting that, when I am quiet, people assume that there is something wrong. No, there isn't anything wrong. I'm just trying to find my wings.
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