"I Understand"

"It begins with you"

A phrase so simple and yet, it has stuck with me for 25 years. Which, coincidentally is about how long I'm supposed to live. I've seen many things and met many people but yet it all comes down to this moment. My favorite part of every day; well, it's night.

Some people think it's because I see better at night, or because it's simply in my DNA. Essentially, both of these statements are technically correct. But, that's not why I love being nocturnal; it's the peace.

See when the sun goes down, and the moon comes up. Typically most people are finishing their days and preparing to end the day, in hopes that they wake up the following morning to begin another routine day called life. But for me? My day is only starting and the best part of the day, whicb is night, begins. See, I love it because it's peaceful. The lights are off, the streets are empty and the night sky fills with silence until nature's night cries break the silence.

Now you may ask, "If everything ends at nightfall, what do you do? what do you enjoy? what do you even experience?"

Well, the answer might surprise you. But being able to just get up and fly to any destination, there is one place where I have spent every night for the last 25 years. Away from the moving lights on the road in the city. Away from the loud buzzing buildings filled with people and just awkward scenarios. I choose silence, well, almost silence. See, this place is away from everything but also has everything one needs. This place is the same place where I heard my father tell me the best stories and teach me the most amazing life lessons that one can inherit. A tree, nothing crazy, but a simple tree out on the side of a home out in the country. A tree that has lasted as long as myself. From what I've been told, this is the same tree that the last 6 generations of my family have spent every night on, until this day.

So, you may ask, "why this tree? what can you possibly enjoy or learn from sitting on a tree out in the middle of nowhere?"

Well, this tree sat outside of a home where for decades, it was filled with laughter, happiness, sorrow, games, dinners, dancing and so much more. As a kid, I remember sitting next to my father, looking through the glowing windows and seeing the same two people for a while just enjoying their lives. It was interesting because they would go from happiness one moment to talking abruptly and loudly about the weirdest things. To be honest, I don't even know half the time what caused the sudden change of atmosphere. But I do know, that they always came back to each other, no matter how bad that disruption was.

Sitting on the branch every evening and overnight, I had seen this pair slowly begin to expand. A mini person, that I later found out, is called a baby, really did change the environment. They were really happy, motivated, and just overall goofy sometimes. They kept talking to this baby as if it was not capable to understand just simple English. But hey, the baby seemed to not mind and eventually began to communicate like normal.

So this home went from 2 to 3 and stayed that way for quite a few years. That is until the baby, that grew into what's called a "boy", began to make some friends and now there were two other boys that came over a lot and they were always up to something. Sometimes they were playing pirates, then cowboys and Indians, and just so many fun days they had together. To be honest, I remember starting to come to a little earlier just to catch the end part of their adventures before the sun began the curtain call to their adventures.

For years, they continued to grow up having fun-filled days. Well, all the way until this girl showed up. Man, she changed everything. Now mind you, she didn't change things on her own, the two friends also kept coming over with their female companions as well. So from 2 to 3, to 5 up to now 8. 8 people always hanging around at night. The 3 boys, the 3 girls, and the original 2 who did not look the same by the way. Their skin looked rippled and the hairs began to change colors. At first, I just thought it was like an annual color-changing like the trees but my dad always told me as a kid that when the hairs begin to change color, that means that they are smarter and have more cool stories to tell.

So for years, this group of family and friends just filled this home with laughter, joy, fun, and games. They grew together and they laughed together. I mean I can sit here and tell you about many of the conversations, the accidental spills, the falling, and just so many things I witnessed out in this country. You would think that away from the city, there would be no life at night. But honestly, the life I saw develop and grow sitting on that branch, on that tree, every night was more impactful than anything I probably would have ever seen in the city at night. Love, family, friendship, and a good meal. This is what I learned is all that you need to have a great night.

So let's fast forward now, to this moment. I am not a kid anymore. I am close to the ending years of my life. For if you don't know, the average life expectancy of an owl is only about 25 years. For those who didn't catch on, yes, I'm an owl. A bird that nobody sees, that nobody notices because we come out when all is asleep. But tonight is a different night. The atmosphere, it's off, different. As always, I sit on this branch and look into this very same home that my family has grown to admire and the people in it. But things are different today.

See, I am sitting here on this branch and the house filled more than I have seen it in a long time. You see, in fast-forwarding a bit, I didn't get to mention how these nights, slowly began to fade away; as well as the original two. The boys stopped coming around, people stopped visiting and it eventually lead to that once young couple, spending every night, alone, in their home.

But today, it was a full house. As I was pulling up to my nightly landing location on this branch, and seeing all the lights of the cars driving up to the home; I got excited. I got excited because I thought that tonight would be a night to remember. A night just like the good ole days where it would be fun, laughter, and games.

But as I sit here tonight, and look into this home. I see a very weak, broken man lying in bed. He looked drained, lifeless, and just worn out. Everyone who came into this home was all surrounding the bed, Different ages, different heights, and shapes. All here for this one man.

The thing is this moment. I've been here before. I had experienced it before. I saw this same scene as a kid. But my perspective is a bit different. Because now I wasn't looking at this from the perspective of a young, ignorant child but as an experienced owl of many, many nights.

You see, like a baby owl, on this very branch, and this very house. This same scenario was seen but with a different main character, a woman. It was the woman who built the house with the man that I am looking at today, 25 years later. You see that night, with my father, we sat here and he began asking my questions. Questions like, "what do you see?" or "do you see the differences here?"

At first, I was a bit confused because everyone looked the same. They were all of the same species. So I figured they were just all the same. He told me, "you are right, they are all the same. Despite their differences, they are all the same." Now to me, this was such a simple concept. Even more literal versus conceptually. You see, owls, are mostly color blind. So despite shapes and sizes, everyone looks the same.

And I remember my father telling me on that branch, "Son, what this world needs, is more night owls" I didn't understand what in Socrates' name he meant by that. But owls are wise right? That's why in all books, for some reason, we are always wearing spectacles. But that night, there was even more to that conversation. He went on to say the following words.

"Son, you see. With these people.

They segregate each other. They live in phases.

They share moments, they share the love.

But then the love fades, the moments fade.

Do you notice how with time, people stopped showing up as much?

And it just came down to this couple right here?

Sometimes, people move on and begin new lives and they forget the ones that got them there in the first place.

They forget about the importance of family, of the small moments.

You see that woman right there? EVERYTHING started with her. Since I was a kid. She was the one.

The one that brought everyone together, the one that cooked the dinners, the one that made sure every remembered.

Remembered to segregate pain from joy, not skin color and differences.

to segregate the good moments from the bad ones.

to segregate negativity from positivity.

These are words that I've heard from her sitting on this very branch.

And they happened to remember her now, in her final moments.

Sometimes, we don't realize what we have until we are losing grasp of those things

But by that time, it's too late.

You missed your moment.

But you see these younger ones? they have a choice.

A chance to change things.

Make an impact.

Always remember that change.

It begins with you.."

I sat there that night in silence, wondering, "when is too late?" What did he mean by that?

I sat there and watched through this window and realized that this woman, began to change color. She was fading, turning pale and the room began to get impatient and sadness filled the air. I was so confused. I looked up to my father, who was also very dim.

The look on his face worried me.

"Dad? what's wrong?"

He stayed quiet. Looking through the window, at this woman. Almost connected to her in a way. I stared at him as he stared at her.

"Son" he slowly spoke, almost whispered.

"Understand, all things come to an end. Day to night, and night today. There is a beginning and an end. We come to life as the day finishes. Life comes and goes in the blink of an eye. We have to make sure we take advantage of every moment. And make sure, that you leave a legacy. Life lessons and that you continue this legacy. Protect this home, Keep an eye out for the signs, the moments. Learn from their mistakes. Don't let the moments pass you by. Don't let life tear you away from those you love. That's what happened here and look at the disappointment and despair in this room. Instead of enjoying their last moments together, they are grieving.

But, that is not the case with us. I made sure of that. All the moments we shared, all the lessons I've taught you. Was to prepare you for this moment. So you understood, that this next step in life, is normal and inevitable. But that at least, you can experience this last step in peace, not sadness.

One day, you'll understand"

I sat there in utter silence. But this time, not confused. It hit me. This was not like any other night. Now I understood, why my father connected so much to this woman. Why he was so taken to bring me here tonight. I sat there, broken, but reminiscent.

All the conversations, the moments, the late-night flyovers, all led me to this moment. The last moment, with my father. That night, that lady and my father both passed away. I understood.

Now, as I sit here tonight, looking into this window. Into the face of the same man, that held the hands of the woman who started it all. Tonight, I understand the scenario. I understand the moment. I begin to get the pit feeling in my stomach. Because at the end of the night, this will have been a deja vu for me. But this time, with my son.

Yeah, my baby owl, sitting to my life, watching into the window. Yeah, I forgot to mention that. Owls, you know, we create families as well. And I am here, with my offspring, as he sits there, looking into the home with curiosity, not understanding why we are here.

I look down at him and tell him.

"You know, when I was about your age, I was sitting on this same branch, in this same scenario. Confused, concerned, and my feelings were just absolutely deflated. I didn't understand why that night was so different, as I sat there with my father on this very branch. And I want to tell you something my father told me:

"Son, you see. With these people.

They segregate each other. They live in phases.

They share moments, they share the love.

But then the love fades, the moments fade.

Do you notice how with time, people stopped showing up as much?

And it just came down to this couple right here?

Sometimes, people move on and begin new lives and they forget the ones that got them there in the first place.

They forget about the importance of family, of the small moments.

You see that man right there? EVERYTHING started with his love. Since I was a kid. he was the one, with her.

The one that supported her as she brought everyone together, the one that washed the dishes after she cooked the dinners, the one that made sure every remembered.

Remembered to segregate pain from joy, not skin color and differences.

to segregate the good moments from the bad ones.

to segregate negativity from positivity.

These are words that I've heard from him sitting on this very branch.

And they happened to remember him now, in his final moments.

The people around her swore with the first experience, they wouldn't let this happen again. But yet, here we are.

Sometimes, we don't realize what we have until we are losing grasp of those things

But by that time, it's too late.

You missed your moment.

But you see these younger ones? they have a choice.

A chance to change things.

Make an impact.

Always remember that change.

It begins with you.."

I immediately connected with my son, as the face he made, is the same one I experienced as a child. He didn't understand, he didn't get why we were here. I sat there, wondering, man, this is how my father felt. Knowing that this was his last night with me.

And now, It hit me, my father's last words to me, "one day, you'll understand"

Man, I missed him so much.

I looked down at my baby owl, my baby boy. He looked up at me and that's when I realized, he understood.

I looked back into the room, and realized, he was gone. The end of a generation. The end of everything that began. Worried, because although, I knew my boy would continue the tradition of decades of ancestor owls, sitting on this branch, on this tree, in front of this house. I also knew, that most likely, this is the last time this house would be filled again.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and just as I went to exhale my last breath. A small voice broke the cold night air and said.

"Dad, I get it now. Grandpa was right and so were you. The world needs more owls... Love you and I will miss you"