Ben's Springhouse Fundraiser!

Hello! As many of you know my school is doing a big fundraiser. This is our last day and our final push to make our goal. I am only trying to raise $100 and anything helps! Thank you so much for your support.

The Falcon & The Branch

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed, and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly.

He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch.

Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he cried out to his court, “Go and get a farmer.”

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, “Bring me the doer of this miracle.”

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?”

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, “It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting.”

A Brief explanation of the story: In this story, the Falcon had the potential to fly but did not realize this possibility until the Farmer cut the branch. After the branch had been cut, the Falcon discovered a new facet of its essential and true nature. The falcon found out it could fly.  Living into one’s potential is a unique journey for each person. It is individualized yet a journey everyone of us is invited to take. 

The branch is different for each one of us. The farmer, or whatever motivates us toward our potential, is different. This story speaks to so many things including how growth is change; and as we all know, change can be uncomfortable, uncertain, scary, and even exhilarating.  Change can call us to a new understanding of ourselves and the world, if we let it. And from this new place, we can love the world with greater clarity and commitment.

***[Springhouse Ambassador: please insert a story here sharing how Springhouse has helped you live into your potential and discover new facets of your true self; you can also add a photo of yourself if you'd like!]***

At Springhouse, we know the power of story – and how stories help challenge, inspire, and unite communities. In “The Falcon and the Branch” we learn that often our inner potential is revealed through challenges and difficulty. Like the falcon, many are feeling the branch being cut as our culture cracks open and reveals fault lines that have fractured society for centuries. Are we willing to accept this invitation to unknown and vulnerable experiences while learning to fly in the ways that are unique to us all?  

Here at Springhouse, we accept the invitation, and we continue to actively practice our values: connection, resiliency, trust, creativity, integrity, and respect for individuality. As we take steps to more fully face systemic and global struggles, we are learning what we are capable of and the potential we all hold – both as individuals and as a collective. We feel a readiness to embrace the deep social shifts and cultural uprise needed to move toward a more just and equitable world. 

Springhouse is writing a new story about the purpose and practice of education by fostering the holistic development of youth, teens, and adults. Through envisioning this new story for education and our culture, we commit to offering sustained, long-term opportunities for learners to discover how to engage with the world and life’s challenges in ways that are creative and authentic, encourage self-honesty and humility, and focus on compassion, integrity, and fairness.

Giving to Springhouse supports youth, teens, and adults who are committed to life-long learning and living into their potential through an education that bravely faces the unknowns and challenges of life. Many program participants receive financial assistance as Springhouse doesn’t turn anyone away for lack of an ability to pay tuition. Your gift supports and inspires a community of people who are actively making a difference in the world. 

Your donation helps Springhouse thrive and sustain our deep commitment to this work!