A present for everyone [Archive] - Final Fantasy Shrine Forums

One dreamers path

11-28-2003, 03:38 AM

Alot of people here are going through a hard time, Tekno, Neo Xzhan, Riana, Gandalf, Deaths_Head, Azrediel Bane, me, Drea, Heather, Cloudago and basically everyone else on some level.

So this thread is devoted to all FFShriners, and anyone else who wants it devoted to them in the world, in the hope that it may help you all somehow and ease some of your troubles.

I love you all.

*baby hug*

Click on the pictures...(one of them is my pet dog Roxy)




On Children (By Kahlil Gibran)

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

A tear from above (By Anthony Pellegrino)

barefoot thru the grass
to run within the trees,
then lay my weary head- alas,
upon a hill of steep.
I look unto the clouds
they move mystically
into forms that arouse
my mind to wandering.
the clouds across the way
looming dark and gray,
billows full of moisture
stalking on their prey.
a volition to consume
swallowing the light of day,
but I cherish deep and true
for I know their moody way.
these impending clouds
are taking back their sky,
and once again the rain to fall
as tears from my eyes.
so fresh and very soothing
the rain falls from my face,
for this I give gratitude
to clouds of sullen grace.

As I grow, please... (By Helene Rothschild)

Understand that I am growing up and changing very fast.
It must be very difficult to keep peace with me, but please try.
Listen to me and give me brief clear answers to my questions. Then I will keep sharing my thoughts and feelings.

Reward me for telling the truth then I am not frightened into lying.
Tell me when you make a mistake and what you have learned from them. Then I can accept that I am ok even when I blunder.
Pay attention to me and spend time with me. Then I can believe that I am important and worthwhile.

Do the things you want me to do. Then I have a good positive role model.
Trust and respect me. Even thought I am smaller than you. I have feelings ands needs too, just like you.

Compliment and appreciate me. Then I�ll feel good and want to continue to please you.
Help me explore my unique interest, talents, and potential. In order for me to be happy I need to be me and not you or someone else you want me to be.

Be an individual and create your own happiness. Then you can teach me the same and I can live a happy successful and fulfilling life.

Thank you for hearing me
I love you, your teenager

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The Most Beautiful Flower (By Cheryl Costello Forshey)

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read

Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree.

Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown,

For the world was intent on dragging me down.

And if that weren't enough to ruin my day,

A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play

He stood right before me with his head tilted down

And said with great excitement, "Look what I found!"

In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight,

With its petals all worn - not enough rain, or too little light.

Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off to play,

I faked a small smile and then shifted away.

But instead of retreating he sat next to my side

And placed the flower to his nose

And declared with overacted surprise,

It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful, too.

That's why I picked it; here, it's for you."

The weed before me was dying or dead.

Not vibrant of colors: orange, yellow or red.

But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave.

So I reached for the flower, and replied, "Just what I need."

but instead of him placing the flower in my hand,

He held it mid-air without reason or plan.

It was then that I noticed for the very first time

That weed-toting boy could not see: he was blind.

I heard my voice quiver; tears shone in the sun

As I thanked him for picking the very best one.

You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran off to play,

Unaware of the impact he'd had on my day.

I sat there and wondered how he managed to see

A self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree.

How did he know of my self-indulged plight?

Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true sight.

Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see

The problem was not with the world; the problem was me.

And for all of those times I myself had been blind,

I vowed to see the beauty in life, And appreciate every second that's
mine.

And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose

And breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose

And smiled as I watched that young boy, Another weed in his hand,

About to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.

If this message has inspired you, or touched you in anyway
or if you feel that it can brighten up someone else's day,
please forward it.

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Portrait of a Friend

I can't give solutions to all of life's problems, doubts, or fears. But I can listen to you, and together we can seek answers.

I can't change your past with all it's heartache and pain, nor the future with it's untold stories. But I can be there now when you need me to care.

I can't keep your feet from stumbling. I can only offer my hand that you may grasp it and not fall.

Your joys, triumphs, successes, and happiness are not mine. Yet I can share in your laughter and joy.

Your decisions in life are not mine to make, nor to judge. I can only support you, encourage you, and help you when you ask.

I can't give you boundaries which I have determined for you. But I can give you the room to change, room to grow, room to be yourself.

I can't keep your heart from breaking and hurting. But I can cry with you and help you pick up the pieces and put them back in place.

I can't tell you who you are. I can only love you and be your friend.

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~Thanks~ (By Allison Chambers Coxsey)

All my life I kept my dreams,

Tucked somewhere deep inside;

Till one by one you pulled them out,

With nothing left to hide.

You pointed to my deepest dreams,

You told me I should try;

Then gently told me I had wings,

And showed me how to fly.

Then somehow you reached in my heart,

Made words flow like a stream;

With loving inspiration,

You became part of the dream.

I never would have dreamed my dreams,

They never would have come true;

Those dreams would not be realized,

If God had not sent you.

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"May You Always Feel Loved"

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not
always understand.
May the pain you have known and the conflict you have
experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism.
Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.
May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace.
May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.
Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.
Teach love to those who know hate, and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.
May the teaching of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them.
Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have
touched yours are
always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you
would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter that is more important than its' form.
May you not become too concerned with material matters, but
instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world
around you.
Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is
different in our own way.
What you may feel you lack in one regard may be more than
compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your
strengths in the future.
May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.
May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent on another's judgments of your
accomplishments.
May you always feel loved.

INFORMATION PLEASE......

When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our
neighborhood. I remember well the polished old case fastened to the
wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to
reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother used
to talk to it.

Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an
amazing person - her name was Information Please and there was nothing she
did not know. Information Please could supply anybody's number and the
correct time.

My first personal experience with this genie-in-the-bottle came one day
while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool
bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer. The pain was
terrible, but there didn't seem to be any reason in crying because there was
no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing
finger, finally arriving at the stairway - The telephone! Quickly I ran
for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up I
unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear. Information
Please I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.

A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. "Information."

"I hurt my finger. . ." I wailed into the phone. The tears came readily
enough now that I had an audience.

"Isn't your mother home?" came the question.

"Nobody's home but me." I blubbered.

"Are you bleeding?"

"No," I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts."

"Can you open your icebox?" she asked. I said I could. "Then chip off a
little piece of ice and hold it to your finger."

After that I called Information Please for everything. I asked her for
help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me
with my math, and she told me my pet chipmunk I had caught in the park just
the day before would eat fruits and nuts.

And there was the time that Petey, our pet canary died. I called
Information Please and told her the sad story. She listened, then
said the usual things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was
unconsoled. Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring
joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers, feet up on
the bottom of a cage?

She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, "Paul,
always remember that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow I felt
better.

Another day I was on the telephone. "Information Please."

"Information," said the now familiar voice.

"How do you spell fix?" I asked.

All this took place in a small town in the pacific Northwest. Then when
I was 9 years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my
friend very much. Information Please belonged in that old wooden box back
home, and I somehow never thought of trying the tall, shiny new phone that
sat on the hall table.

Yet as I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood
conversations never really left me; often in moments of doubt and
perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I
appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have
spent her time on a little boy.

A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in
Seattle. I had about half an hour or so between plane, and I spent 15
minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without
thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said,
"Information Please".

Miraculously, I heard again the small, clear voice I knew so well,
"Information." I hadn't planned this but I heard myself saying,
"Could you tell me please how-to spell fix?"

There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess that
your finger must have healed by now.

I laughed, "So it's really still you," I said. "I wonder if you have any
idea how much you meant to me during that time.

"I wonder, she said, if you know how much your calls meant to me. I
never had any children, and I used to look forward to your calls.

I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if
I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.

"Please do, just ask for Sally."

Just three months later I was back in Seattle. . .A different voice
answered Information and I asked for Sally.

"Are you a friend?"

"Yes, a very old friend."

"Then I'm sorry to have to tell you. Sally has been working part-time
the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago." But
before I could hang up she said, "Wait a minute. Did you say your name was
Paul?"

"Yes."

"Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down. Here it is I'll
read it. 'Tell him I still say there are other worlds to sing in. He'll
know what I mean'".

I thanked her and hung up.

I did know what Sally meant.

Sisters

Teddy bears, doll and dress up clothes,

The time went by so fast;

Tea parties filled with giggling girls,

Sweet memories from the past.

You were always there beside me,

As we grew up through years;

You shared my sorrows and my joys,

My laughter and my tears.

There's something God has given me,

A gift so sweet and rare;

A love for my sister deep in my heart,

And a friend who will always be there.

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~ RULES FOR BEING HUMAN ~ (By Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott)

You will receive a body.
You may like it or hate it,
but it's yours to keep
for the entire period.

You will learn lessons.
You are enrolled in a full-time,
informal school called life.

There are no mistakes, only lessons.
Growth is a process of trial, error
and experimentation.
The "failed" experiments are as much
a part of the process as the experiments
that ultimately "work".

Lessons are repeated until they are learned.
A lesson will be presented to you in various forms
until you have learned it.
When you have learned it,
you can go on to the next lesson.

Learning lessons does not end.
There is no part of life that doesn't
contain it's lessons.
If you're alive,
there are still lessons to be learned.

"There" is no better than "here".
When your "there" has become "here",
you will simply obtain another "there"
that will again look better than "here".

Other people are merely mirrors of you.
You can not love or hate something
about another person unless it reflects to you
something you love or hate about yourself.

What you make of your life is up to you.
You have all the tools and resources you need.
What you do with them is up to you.
The choice is yours.

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The Football Player

Bob Richards, the former pole-vault champion, shares a moving story
about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart.
Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But
being half the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. At all
the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played.
This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a
very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench,
his father was always in the stands cheering.

He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the
class when he entered high school. His father continued to encourage him
but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he
didn't want to. But the young man loved football and decided to hang in
there. He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps
he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he
never missed a practice nor a game but remained a bench-warmer all four
years.

His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of
encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided
to try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he
could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept
him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every
practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the
spirit and hustle they badly needed.

The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he
rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his
excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games.
This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four
years at college, but he never got to play in a game. It was the end of
his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field
shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram.
The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing
hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all
right if I miss practice today?"

The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the
rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game
on Saturday." Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the
third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man
quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear.
As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded
to see their faithful teammate back so soon.

"Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young
man.
The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his
worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted,
and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right,"
he said. "You can go in."

Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could
not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before
was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He
ran, he passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to
triumph.

The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid
intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The
fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such
cheering you never heard.

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and
left the locker room, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting
quietly in the corner all alone The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I
can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did
you do it?" He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said,
"Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?"
The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my
games, but today was the first time
he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!"

Changes (By Deanna Beisser)

When changes happen in our lives,
what really matters is that we
try our best to deal
with the situation.
If we make an effort towards
working things out,
then we give ourselves the opportunity
to decide our fate
and make choices about which way
our futures may lead us.

Being happy and content doesn't mean
living in a world of perfect harmony;
rather, it means that you
allow yourself to flow with
the music that plays in your life.
Enjoy the different melodies
of each unique day.

Be flexible and easygoing;
you'll be surprised at how much
better you feel when you don't
try to control everything.

But also be ready to make choices
and follow through on them,
because they are the decisions
that will influence all aspects
of your life.

Always remember that positive thinking
allows the songs in your heart
to make beautiful sounds for
everyone to enjoy.

Whatever decision we make in life,

let us not forget that things do happen for a reason.

In a life full of wonders and surprises,

we can never expect things to turn out the way

we want to all the time.

But one thing's for sure...

Let us not look back
to the "road of regret" because there's always

some form of "light" in whatever lies ahead...

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WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her
seniors in high school by telling them the difference
they each made. She called each student to the front
of the class, one at a time. First she told each of
them how they had made a difference to her and the class.

Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon
imprinted with gold letters, which read, "Who I Am
Makes a Difference."

Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project
to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a
community. She gave each of the students three more
ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this
acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up
on the results, see who honored whom and report back
to the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive
in a nearby company and honored him for helping him
with his career planning. He gave him a blue
ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two
extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project
on recognition, and we'd like you to go out find
somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give
them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a
third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony
going. Then please report back to me and
tell me what happened."

Later that day the junior executive went in
to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as
being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down
and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a
creative genius.

The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive
asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue
ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on
him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior
executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on
his boss's jacket above his heart.

As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would
you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon
and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young
boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in
school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony
going and find out how it affects people."

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son
and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing
happened to me today. I was in my office and one of
the junior executives came in and told me he admired me
and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius.
Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put
this blue ribbon that says: "Who I Am Makes a Difference,
on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra
ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to
honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started
thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon
and I thought about you.

I want to honor you. My days are really hectic and when
I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you.
Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough
grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but
somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just
let you know that you do make a difference to me.
Besides your mother, you are the most important
person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he
couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked
up at his father and said through his tears, "Dad,
earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to
you and Mom explaining why I had killed myself and
asking you to forgive me. I was going to commit
suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn't
think that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs.
I don't think I need it after all."

His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter
full of anguish and pain. The envelope was addressed,
"Mom and Dad."

The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no
longer a grouch but made sure to let all his employees
know that they made a difference. The junior executive
helped several other young people with career planning
and never forgot to let them know that they made a
difference in his life...one being the boss's son.

And the young boy and his classmates learned a
valuable lesson. Who you are DOES make difference.

Just one more mountain (By SueBell202)

God, is this just one more mountain I must climb?

Or is it my last?

I must confess, it looks so high.........

Not sure if I can climb this one, this time.

I'm really afraid

but that is just between you and I.

I couldn't say that to anyone else.

I feel tears in my eyes, tears in my heart.

Looking back I've had so much.

I am thankful.

Never fully appreciating.....

God, is this just one more mountain to climb?

Or is it my last?

Are you going to give me the strength and courage

I need to reach the top this time?

I've lived, I've cried,

I've laughed,I've loved

but I feel like I have so much more

that I want to do in my life.

God, is this just one more mountain to climb?

Or is it my last?

Please I want so much to reach the peak again.

I want to float on my own special cloud again.

I've so much more laughter, so much more passion

for life.

So much more love to give.

Please God, the tears are beginning to well up in me now.

Is this just one more mountain to climb?

Or is it my last?

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I shall (By Margi Harrell)

I am capable. I am worthwhile.
I am beautiful. I am lovable.
I shall accept both my strengths
and my weaknesses for they are me.

I shall never again believe the "lie"
that if I make a mistake,
I am a mistake.
My mistakes are the learning tools
that I shall encounter on my life journey.

When I learn from my mistakes,
I give them meaning
When I give my mistakes meaning,
I can begin to forgive myself,
I can begin to heal.

I shall not use my mistakes as excuses
to give up on me.....
My mistakes are not me.

I shall seek the wisdom to nurture
my heart, mind, body, and soul
so that I may feel more centered

providing an energy reserve that allows
me to climb the mountains in my own life

providing an energy reserve that allows
me to love and support others
who are climbing a different mountain

providing an energy reserve that allows
time for friends, play
and the celebration of life.

I shall allow myself to feel capable
so that I may seek excellence.

I shall allow myself to feel sadness
so that joy may return.

I shall allow myself to feel joy
so that I may be revitalized.

I shall allow myself to feel afraid
so that I may find courage.

I shall allow myself to feel alone
so that I may know me.

I shall allow myself to feel beautiful
so that I may feel free.

I shall allow myself to feel lovable
so that the loving may seek me.

I shall allow myself to feel pain
so that I may heal.

I shall allow myself to feel worthy
so that I may fulfill my purpose.

When I am centered,
I see the perfection in the world,
myself and others.

When I find the world to be imperfect,
I will take responsibility
for painting it that way.

I will look into the heart of a rose,
or the eyes of a newborn baby
and again know perfection.

I take responsibility
for creating my own life story
through the choices I have made;
to blame others is to give away
my personal power.

Who will I allow to write
the next chapter of my life?

I shall seek the courage to believe
in a God or Higher Power
who will laugh with me in the sunlight
or cry with me in the darkness.

I shall make a small difference on this planet
through the work I do.
When I leave I will have done my share.

I shall live, love, laugh,
and learn on my journey.

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Beginning Today

Beginning today I will no longer worry about yesterday.
It is in the past and the past will never change.
Only I can change by choosing to do so.

Beginning today I will no longer worry about tomorrow.
Tomorrow will always be there, waiting for me to make the most of it.
But I cannot make the most of tomorrow without first
making the most of today.

Beginning today I will look in the mirror and I will see a person worthy of my respect and admiration.
This capable person looking back at me is someone I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like to get to know better.

Beginning today I will cherish each moment of my life.
I value this gift bestowed upon me in this world and I will unselfishly share this gift with others.
I will use this gift to enhance the lives of others.

Beginning today I will take a moment to step off the beaten path and to revel in the mysteries I encounter.
I will face challenges with courage and determination.
I will overcome what barriers there may be which hinder my quest for growth and self-improvement.

Beginning today I will take life one day at a time, one step at a time.
Discouragement will not be allowed to taint my positive self-image,
my desire to succeed or my capacity to love.

Beginning today I walk with renewed faith in human kindness.
Regardless of what has gone before, I believe there is hope
for a brighter and better future.

Beginning today I will open my mind and my heart.
I will welcome new experiences. I will meet new people.
I will not expect perfection from myself nor anyone else: perfection does not exist in an imperfect world.
But I will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.

Beginning today I am responsible for my own happiness and I will do things that make me happy . . .
admire the beautiful wonders of nature, listen to my favorite music,
pet a kitten or a puppy, soak in a bubble bath . . .
pleasure can be found in the most simple of gestures.

Beginning today I will learn something new; I will try something different; I will savor all the various flavors life has to offer.
I will change what I can and the rest I will let go.
I will strive to become the best me I can possibly be.

Beginning today. And every day.

(By Amanda Bradley)

Always have a dream

Forget about the days

when its been cloudy,

but don�t forget your hours in the sun

Forget about the times

you�ve been defeated

but don�t forget the victories you�ve won

Forget about mistakes

that you cant change now

but don�t forget the lessons

that you�ve learnt

Forget about misfortunes

you encounter

but don�t forget the times

your luck has turned

Forget about the days

when you�ve been lonely

but don�t forget

the friendly smiles you�ve seen

Forget about the plans

that didn�t seem

to work out right

but don�t forget

to always have a

dream

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A True Story of Courage and Love (By Dave Kuzminski)

Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia in 1977, 1 saw a water puddle ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn�t covered by water and mud. As I reached the puddle, I was suddenly attacked!

Yet I did nothing for the attack was so unpredictable and from a source so totally unexpected. I was startled as well as unhurt, despite having been struck four or five times already. I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me. Instead of attacking more, he hovered in the air on graceful butterfly wings in front of me. Had I been hurt I wouldn�t have found it amusing, but I was unhurt, it was funny, and I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!

Having stopped laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He rammed me in the chest with his head and body, striking me over and over again with all his might, still to no avail. For a second time, I retreated a step while my attacker relented in his attack.

Yet again, I tried moving forward. My attacker charged me again. I was rammed in the chest over and over again. I wasn�t sure what to do, other than to retreat a third time, after all, it�s just not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly. This time, though, I stepped back several paces to look the situation over. My attacker moved back as well to land on the ground. That�s when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier.

He had a mate and she was dying. She was beside the puddle where he landed. Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had taken it upon himself to attack me for his mate�s sake, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her.

Now I knew why and what he was fighting for. There was really only one option left for me. I carefully made my way around the puddle to the other side of the path, though it was only inches wide and extremely muddy. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate�s safety justified it. I couldn�t do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the puddle. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed. I left them in peace for those last few moments, cleaning the mud from my boots when I later reached my car.

Since then, I�ve always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge obstacles facing me. I use that butterfly�s courage as an inspiration and to remind myself that good things are worth fighting for.

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