Dawn's Notes
The Fable of the Peacock and the Crow - November 2018
by Dawn Phelps, RN/LMSW
A crow lived in the forest and was absolutely satisfied with his life. But one day he saw a swan, and he thought, “The swan is so white, and I am so black. The swan must be the happiest bird in the world.”
The crow expressed his thoughts to the swan. “Actually,” the swan replied, “I was feeling that I was the happiest bird around until I saw a parrot that has two colors. I now think the parrot is the happiest bird in creation!”
The crow then approached the parrot. The parrot exclaimed, “I lived a very happy life until I saw a peacock. I have only two colors, but the peacock has multiple colors.”
The crow then visited the peacock in the zoo and saw that hundreds of people had gathered to see him. After the people left, the crow approached the peacock.
“Dear peacock,” the crow said. “You are so beautiful. Every day thousands of people come to see you. When people see me, they immediately shoo me away. I think you are the happiest bird on the planet.”
The peacock replied, “I always thought that I was the most beautiful and happy bird on the planet. But because of my beauty, I am entrapped in this zoo. I have examined the zoo carefully, and I have realized that the crow is the only bird not kept in a cage. So for the past few days, I have been thinking that if I were a crow, I could happily roam everywhere.”
The above story is from Aesop’s Fables and was probably written by a slave and storyteller in ancient Greece from 620-564 B.C. There are many other similar stories about the peacock and the crow.
In one story, the crow wanted so badly to be beautiful that he swiped some of the peacock’s feathers and wore them on his head and in his tail
feathers. In another fable the crow tried painting his black feathers to make himself beautiful, only to be found out.
You have probably already guessed the moral of the story—to be happy with who you are and what you have, no matter if you are ugly or poor. Also, being beautiful does not mean you will be happy.
Remember, the beautiful peacock could not escape from the zoo and longed to be like the black crow that could make the decision to fly away. Another lesson—everyone has their own problems even if their life looks good.
With Thanksgiving so near, it is a good time to think about what we have rather than what we do not have. You may be sad because of the death of your loved one. Perhaps you feel imprisoned by your grief, wishing you could escape it. But grief is a process, and you must be patient. In time you will get through it.
Most of us have our basic needs met—clean air, food, water, a house, a car, heating and cooling, and more than enough clothes. Many of us have the money to buy nutritious food and some extra things along the way.
And even if we should win a lottery, money cannot bring our loved one back. Money cannot buy happiness, health, or healthy relationships with friends and family.
The Thanksgiving season is a good time to look with gratitude at our past memories, for the time we had with our loved one, and realize they left a mark on our lives forever. It is also a time to take stock and count the many blessings in our lives right now. And don’t forget the fable of the peacock and the crow.
Call about the next "Living Life after Loss" Group at:
Meadowlark Hospice 709 Liberty Clay Center, Kansas
(785) 632-2225
Dawn Phelps, RN/LMSW, Group Facilitator