The nature of flying.

There are infinite ways for us to connect to nature. One way is vicariously experienced through our animals, fish, insects, and birds. We find pleasure in our dog that can run like a horse. We observe fish with fins that swim through water with speed and grace in a way that we cannot. Ants fascinate us because they live in a symbiotic relationship with one another, building colonies and sharing earth in harmonious ways. Bees pay homage to a queen in a hierarchy. Our domestic pets thrive on elaborate care and attention. Before left to the wild to fend for themselves, they now live in palaces where their care is equal our fellow human beings or perhaps superior. What do we derive from keeping, caring for, observing, and making companions of these creatures? The answer is individual and personal.

Research indicates that the simple act of petting, touching, and caring for animals raises levels of feel-good hormones such as serotonin in the human body. (1) Improved health and greater longevity has been linked to the human relationship with other animal species.

My personal pets of choice are birds. One of the reasons I love birds is that they have something I do not: wings. From the time I was very young. I had a kinship with birds, from my first parakeet to the cockatoo of eleven years.

Just a year ago, the opportunity to raise doves presented itself to me. I flew with it! I discovered something I had never known, the homing dove. Each morning when I awaken I go out and release them to the sky. The golden light of the morning catches under their wings as they fly around and around above the house, with swoops and sudden turns in the wind as they circle and shift and swap positions in the air rounding the property- thirty times before stopping mid-flight. In a sudden fall from the sky, the white birds float down from the trees in a pattern, landing on the rooftop, a pit stop to their loft entrance. The afternoon will bring yet another flight, only maybe at a distance this time of five, ten, or even forty miles from home--good exercise for these trained athletes. With the help of their natural compass, the magnetic pull of the earth, and sight and sound, they are instinctively driven on their path--flying at speeds of twenty to forty miles an hour to their destination, back home.

The dove represents the wayfarer of the sky, a being who though it belongs to the earth is capable of dwelling in the skies. A dove can fly to great heights and in a moments notice soar into the clouds, joining its flock. I am inspired by how the entire flock circles back to include the one bird that has gone astray, instead of heading out and leaving it behind.

The doves are a model of community--a flock flies together, going the same direction with one common purpose--to find their bearings and head home. Back at their loft, they have a family and young ones awaiting them. They are the parents, the teachers, the mentors, and the elders. In the loft, they each have their place: for some a perch and for others a nest. The doves are quite harmonious; there is an occasional fuss over a perch or nest, but most squabbles are settled without injury and peace reigns once more.

The only doves suitable for "Dove Releases" are well-trained Rock Doves. The homing pigeon, or Rock Dove, has been returning home to help human beings for centuries: in ancient Greece and Italy they were used to carry messages and race in contests. In 43 B.C.. Brutus used homing pigeons to communicate with his consuls during a siege led by Mark Antony. The doves can facilitate a healing experience or be part of ancient ceremony. By holding and releasing doves in the name of a deceased loved one, one physically, emotionally, and spiritually experiences a letting go that may be necessary in the grieving process. For married couples, the letting go of doves represents an ancient ritual symbolizing the many elements of married life. The doves are released as the wedding couple begins their journey together, flying together yet not so near to each other to disrupt the flight of the other. White doves have long been recognized universally as a symbol of peace and goodwill.

We gain something unexplainable by watching these pure white birds fly. Some people say they feel uplifted and a sense of peace witnessing a dove release. Maybe it stimulates the same feel-good hormones we receive from petting a dog, or warming up with our cat.

We are fortunate to share this planet with so many wonderful creatures of nature. It is my hope that we will continue to live, learn, and be inspired by these birds in ways that teach us about the harmony and nature of the earth. When we allow ourselves to experience these lovely white birds, we gain something we might not have expected. Could it be that these creatures force us to stop, if even just for a few minutes and take notice of them and their unique role on this planet?

Forever moving forward, the dove is a true hope for the future--a future of peace.

Julia Gaunt has lived in Asheville, NC for 25 years. She shares her home with her husband, daughter, weekend grandson, two dogs, a cat, three inside birds, and sixty homing doves. For more information, contact A Spirit's Wings Dove Releases, www.aspiritswings.com or call 828-582-9115.

Footnote: 1--University of Texas Health Science Center, Health leader Magazine, Dr Blaire Justice, Dr Rita Justice