Feathers

My good friend gave me five peacock feathers and I have them in a vase in my office.  I'm always stunned when I look at them because the color and the design of each is distinctive.  I picture a peacock strutting around, tail open wide for all the world to see.  I've always felt these birds get a bad rap for being proud and haughty — I think they've got healthy self esteem.  They know they've got something beautiful — and to keep it hidden, I mean, what good is that?  It reminds me of when I was younger and battled crippling self esteem issues to the point where I refused to take part in the high school talent show.  I was asked to give a speech I'd done in speech class that everyone thought was very funny.  But, no, I said, I couldn't.  And the night of the talent show?  I sat in my room kicking myself. 

There's a fine line between pride and confidence.  I make lists constantly and one of the ones I make every now and then is called, THINGS I'M GOOD AT.  I don't have to keep a THINGS I'M BAD AT list, because those are written across my eyeballs.  But when I pay attention to to the things I can do well, I have a much better day and according to my husband, I can be downright adorable.  That's letting my inner peacock come out, just a little, although it irks me that male birds get all the bright plumage. 

I'd feel differently about peacocks if they were constantly preening in front of mirrors and sucking in their stomachs, but actually, the thing of greatest beauty they possess is behind them. That puts things in perspective. So, shake out your feathers, strut your stuff a little, and feel good about your very best parts.