Inspirational Short Story

Inspirational Short Story, Female Fantasy Art, Relaxing Music

*I've never sung anything*

***that I wasn't ready to sing.***

***-- Claudia Schmidt***
Most of us are curious about the "olden days" before we were born. We ask our parents what life was like when they were kids, what they did, what they looked like, and what they thought about. But most of us, even those who are parents ourselves, have probably never asked our parents, "Were you ready to go to school, to grow up, to get married, to get a job, to have me?" So often we are afraid to take even a small new step, afraid of change. We feel so alone in our uncertainty. From our point of view, it often looks as though everybody's ready except us. Perhaps another way to look at it is that, for most of our lives, readiness really isn't much of an issue. Were we ready to be born? Were we ready to walk, to read, to sing? Maybe we were; maybe not. What's important is what we did, not what we were ready to do. For life is mostly a matter of jumping in feet first shouting, "Here I come, ready or not!"

They were the first . . . self-created people

in the history of the world.

And their manners were their own business.

And so were their politics.

And so, but ten times so, were their souls.

-- Archibald MacLeish

There once was a child named Yemaya. Even before she could walk or talk, her mother introduced her to the trees. Yemaya touched them and they accepted her.

They told her she was wonderful and she knew it was true.

As she grew up, Yemaya occasionally met people who said unkind things to her.

When this happened, she went back to her trees, who continued to tell her she was just fine.

She couldn't understand what was wrong with those who were mean to her.

Whenever they appeared and insisted on being mean, she pretended what they said was an arrow that sailed right by as she stepped out of the way.

We can do the same.

What others say or think is part of them and their lives, not ours.

When we are wise enough to let go of things that don't belong to us, we will find our own treasures.

My true god is always with me.

I am learning to trust myself. . .

-- Joan Parsons

Sometimes a book we read at a very young age stays with us our whole lives.

One girl loved Heidi more than any other book. She always thought about the grandfather's hut. It was a special place in the world -- with the fresh mountain air, the spring flowers, the winter fire on the hearth.

But the part she carried with her to adulthood was the part about the grandfather pouring goat's milk into a bowl and telling Heidi to drink it all up so she could grow to be healthy and happy.

Now that girl is a woman. Sometimes, when she wants to feel taken care of, she pours herself a bowl of milk. Then she sits down, picks up the bowl with two hands, and drinks out of it like Heidi. She feels comforted and connected to the universe.

The private rituals we discover in childhood can befriend us all our lives, if we let them.

_______________

03/05/2014

Calling card banners from Sandy's Graphics (dead link 07/05/2011)

Native American banners from Silverhawk's Native American Graphics

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I've never sung anything

They were the first . . . self-created people

My true god is always with me.