Free Bird

Once there was a free bird. She floated in the sky, catching midges for lunch; she swam in the summer rain and was like many other birds.

But she had a habit: Every time some event occurred in her life, whether good or bad, the bird picked up a stone from the ground. Every day she sorted out her stones, laughed remembering joyful events, and cried remembering the sad ones.

The bird always took the stones with her, whether she was flying in the sky or walking on the earth; she never forgot about them. The years passed. The free bird collected a lot of stones, but she still kept on sorting them, remembering the past. It was becoming more and more difficult to fly, and one day the bird was unable to do so.

The bird that was free some time ago could not walk on the earth; she was unable to make a move on her own. She could not catch midges anymore; only rain gave her the necessary moisture. But the bird bravely endured all the hardships, guarding her precious memories.

After some time the bird died of starvation and thirst. Only a pitiful bunch of worthless stones remained. 

Author Unknown