Jars Of Talents

A large disfigured oak tree stood at a strange slant just outside Julia's hidden shack. The shack was black and bore a musty smell. It smelled of moss and filled your mouth with a sour, bitter taste. It had the potential to be beautiful but felt sad with overgrown vines and tall weeds all around it. Julia allowed it to look unpleasant to discourage people from snooping. She, of course, lived in The Spanish-style house with wooden shutters down the road with the friendly neighbors who fetched her newspaper every morning. But when the night fell, Julia often snuck away to her little shack, where she put on colorful cardigans and danced around with freshly brewed coffee.

To everyone who knew her, she was Julia, dressed in shades of gray and had the posture of a wall. Julia who puckered her lips in disagreement as she passed the children playing in the schoolyard. They didn't know her shack's filled with books of fiction and art supplies. Or that she often put on wigs filled with color and whimsical dresses. Though Julia often went to the shack to be creative, she always found a way to distract or upset herself with constructive criticism from the forest animals. As a result, unfinished paintings filled the shack's walls—a while, Handwritten stories piled on her desk. But since Julia was a math teacher, she felt accomplished though she was terribly unhappy feeling unfulfilled in life.

Julia had a secret room in her shack where she held her most valuable possessions. Floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with her many talents. She had them contained in mason jars with tightly sealed lids so they couldn't escape. Occasionally she took them out to use but would get easily annoyed with her talent expecting it to work perfectly though she had not cultivated it. For example, she would begin a painting, and if it didn't go perfectly, she would place her talent back into the jar for weeks at a time. Julia had many talents, and patience was not one of them.

Just outside Julia's shack, the disfigured oak tree is about the tallest in the forest, with roots reaching hundreds of feet out all around it. It bore an ash color tone. She had an old wagon she often filled with her jars. At least twice a week, she'd go out into the forest, dragging them through the woods to hang them on the tree. The crackling of the branches breaking under her wagon always alerted the animals. She had been doing this for over twenty years. It was a beautiful sight. They lit up when she placed them on the tree because the tree could replenish the talents. But not forever. If she didn't do this, her talents would fade and disappear. All the forest animals hovered around every time she hung them on the tree and watched in awe. There were so many beautiful talents. There was a barn owl that often visited the shack. It would fly around the tree when the jars lit. It was like a tradition.

Julia's stomach would twist and turn every time the animals gathered around. She felt intimidated having so many that she always hid some at the shack, bringing only a few per week. Most of the forest animals were kind and often complimented her talents, while others hid in the shadows and watched from a distance, never offering even a hello. Julia had to stand close by for once a strange deer tried to steal a talent. Luckily her good friend Mr. fox offered help fighting this dark deer filled with jealousy.

One night while Julia was out hanging her talents, the same as she did at least twice a week. Her friend Mr. Fox stopped by, wondering if she might spare a talent. He went on about ideas he so wished he could execute but didn't quite know-how. He politely told me I wasn't using them and promised he'd put my talent to good use. For he wanted the talent to write. She felt for him but refused, telling him he wouldn't benefit from a talent that wasn't his. She assured him he had his talents that better suited him and kindly turned him away, promising she would use hers one day when she was ready.

Another night Mrs. Bunny stopped by the oak tree to ask Julia to spare a talent. She wanted the talent to be able to sing. Julia assured Mrs. Bunny she already had her talents and advised her against asking others for theirs. Instead, she assured Mrs. Bunny she would use her talents when she was ready. But, unfortunately, she just wasn't yet prepared.

While Julia fell asleep at her desk, rattling sounds awakened her one Saturday night. She quickly realized it was the sounds of her jars and ran to her bedroom with a broom at hand, ready to hit anyone who may be trying to steal her talents. All Julia's talents were lit up in the mason jars, vigorously shaking. She ran over to grab one when suddenly they all burst out of the jars hovering around her shack before they flew out of the window into the forest darkness. Julia ran out of the shack into the woods, chasing them. But she couldn't keep up. They were much too fast.

Julia fell to her knees. Her eyes were welling with tears; she couldn't contain her cries. Come back! She begged. She remembered what her teacher would tell her as a young girl. Your talents require dominion. No talent is yours that you haven't mastered, and it takes a lifetime to. How could she ask her talent’s to stay if it didn't know her very well? A talent's sole duty is to unleash, living freely within you while blessing others. If not, a dark deer could use their talent for evil in a world that needed more good and positivity.

Just then, Julia heard rustling leaves behind her. It was Mr. Fox with a glint in his eyes and a talent in a jar. "I found this talent in my room and knew it was yours," he said. "I wanted to thank you for not giving me your talent. "For the first time in my life, I'm eager to learn and engage with my talents and cultivate them. Julia hugged Mr. Fox, overwhelmed by his kindness. Then, she grabbed the talent and placed it in her heart. It was absorbed into her chest. For the first time in her life, she would allow it to live within her full time and have dominion over it in her life.

Mr. Fox smiled, anticipating her creativity to come.