Inspire Me Mondays #10 - Stories

This week I will let my friend Vicki Dynes inspire you. This story was written by her. She could use some inspiration herself, she is home sick with pneumonia.

Ephesus Learns How a Rock Became a Grain of Sand

The fish did not hear her and soon was out of sight. She looked up in the sky and saw a seagull. “Oh Hello” she said to the seagull, “Can you fly down here and talk to me?” The seagull cawed and swooped down near her. “Oh thank goodness” she thought, “Someone is going to come and play with me.” The seagull came very close, in fact so close Ephesus was splashed with water. No sooner had the seagull crashed into the water it was gone, soaring up into the air with a small fish in its mouth. In complete dismay, Ephesus lamented out loud, “Nobody wants to talk to me. I am so lonely and bored. I wish a wave could come back and take me out to sea to play with my friends again.” With this thought in mind she started watching the waves intently. Imagining that they were getting closer and closer but they were actually getting further away. This was too much for her to bear and she burst out into tears. “Oh I am so lonely and there is no one to talk to or play with.” She was deserted on the shore. With it being low tide she realized that it would not be until morning that a big wave would come again. Her sobs became louder but were quelled when she fell asleep from her exhaustion.

The next morning she woke up and realized where she was. She was about to sob again when she heard a little voice. “Who said that?” asked Ephesus. She listened again. She looked above in the sky. She looked in the water and out at the waves. She could see no one. “There is no need to cry. Everything will be all right” a little voice said.
She looked down around her and all she could see was the sandy beach and a few twigs of seaweed. “Where are you?” she asked. “I am down here. There is no need to cry. We heard you sobbing yesterday and we thought we better talk to you before you start sobbing again.” To Ephesus’ surprise she realized that a little grain of sand was speaking to her.
The little grain was glistening in the sun and seemed to be sparkling with all the colours of the rainbow. “Oh you are so beautiful but so little” blurted out Ephesus before she could think of a proper introduction to her new potential friend.“You are very beautiful too” said the little grain of sand. Ephesus starting smiling for the first time since the moment she realized she would be stuck on the shore. “I am so glad you started talking to me. I am so bored and I just can’t wait for the high tide to come and wash me out to sea so I can play with my friends again. There is nothing to do.”

The little grain of sand paused for a moment and seemed to be contemplating what it was going to say next. “Can you turn and look at the hill behind you?” asked the little grain of sand. Ephesus turned and looked, but all she could see was a hill, some plants and a few rocks. She had no idea why the grain of sand would want her to look over there. “Do you see anything similar to me?” further asked the little grain of sand. She was confused and thought she would take a guess to impress her new found and only, current friend. “Well, I see some colors” said Ephesus. Ephesus was a little impatient but was trying to be nice for fear her new friend would not talk to her. “See the rocks over there. We are very similar. There is only one difference. Do you know what that difference is?” asked the little grain of sand. Now Ephesus was getting even more frustrated. Without thinking much about it and hoping that the tide was going to come soon and wash her away she said “I give up - tell me.” The grain of sand replied “It is time. Many moons ago I was a big rock but with time I became smaller and smaller and now here I am.”

Suddenly Ephesus was impressed. “Wow! How could you wait so long to change yourself in to a little grain of sand?” She thought of how quickly she became bored with sitting on the shore. “It’s not a matter of waiting. It’s a matter of being” said the little grain of sand. Ephesus was now really interested in what the little grain of sand had to say. “What do you mean by being?” The little grain of sand replied, “With each moment of time you can be whatever you want to be. Nothing matters in the past or future. Every moment is new and exciting.” “ And what is the purpose of being?” asked Ephesus. This seemed like a very smart question to ask. “If you are being yourself you will enjoy the cycles of life.” continued the little grain of sand. The little grain of sand paused again searching for the right words to use. “If you can accept change freely and allow yourself to be whatever you feel like being you will never be bored again. You will look at every experience with enthusiasm and excitement. You will discover things you might want to change about yourself. You will have the faith and perseverance to change them.” Now Ephesus was lost. “What does faith and perseverance mean?” she asked.

Answered the little grain of sand: “It means that with each change you are about to make you will be focused, disciplined and supported. I will explain by an example. As a rock, I went through frustration not wanting to get smaller. I resisted. It took a long time before I could see what I was resisting. You might want to call it a blind spot. Next I was mad at the creator for making me a rock and subjecting me to the elements. After this I thought it must be my entire fault - that I must have done something to deserve this. This is when I became really confused. This is when I could really have lost my chance to be”. The little grain of sand paused as if waiting for a question from Ephesus. Ephesus thought hard as to what she should ask. Delighted she asked “What saved you from not being?” Her words were not well chosen but she thought it was a great question to ask. “Just in my greatest moment of despair a little grain of sand started talking to me and explained to me about focus, discipline and support. When I calmed down I felt solidly connected with earth and I could think how fun and exciting it would be to become a grain of sand. I became grounded.” replied the little grain of sand. The little grain of sand went further to say “I stayed within myself. I felt and visualized my connection with Mother Earth. I focused on allowing the water to embrace me and make me smaller. I disciplined myself to be on the beach at a location where both high tide and low tide could reach me. I tried to embrace each wave with a new delight knowing that I was on a journey of change. I accepted the support from my friends to face the changes so I was not alone.” The little grain of sand waited to see if Ephesus wanted to ask anymore questions. Ephesus was busy trying to absorb everything and could not think of any questions.

The little grain of sand decided to continue its story, “With time my friends and I realized we were no longer huge rocks but little grains of sand. We celebrated and played games with one and other. We then rested quietly in the sun and took in what a huge accomplishment each and every one of us had made. As we sat back in the sun we noticed such bright colours and light. The brilliance was dazzling to our eyes. We suddenly realized that the bright colors were coming from us. Again we went through another change together but this time it was much easier. And…”
In that moment a huge wave came galloping up on to the shore with such vigor that both Ephesus and the little grain of sand did not know what was happening. In a moment, Ephesus was being embraced and carried back to the depths of the sea. The little grain of sand called out “Goodbye. I love you and wish you many wonderful changes.” Ephesus panicked realizing that she forgot to ask one question but remembering her manners she said: “Goodbye. I love you. I still don’t know what you mean by grounding?” The anxiety was showing in her last question. The little grain of sand replied in all of its beauty: “You can always come back again. If you can’t find me I have many friends that can help you out.”

Ephesus felt tightness in her chest and throat and did not understand why this was happening. Before she knew it though she was deep in the sea and amongst her friends. They asked her if she was okay. She replied “I am much better than okay. I am great and I can be whatever I want to be.”

It was then that her friends noticed that Ephesus was much brighter and more colourful than they had ever seen her before.

Rock Week - Peace Rock

This beauty resides in the yard of my in-laws in Kingston, TN. As you wind your way up the driveway it is the first thing you see. My brother-in-law Nathan built this with his own 2 hands and his engineering degree, just like everything else on Hammonds Hill.

He has served in the Navy Reserves for over 40 years, did a year in Desert Storm and 4 years ago served in Iraq. Even though he is Navy, our troops were so strapped for Commanders he did his tour on the ground in charge of a troop of men so much younger (all in their 20's) than him that they nicknamed him "Grandpa". He just retired from the service this year at the age of 60.

He spent countless hours laying 8 layers of decorative stone into the ground and above to make sure his Freedom Flag and Navy Flag fly straight and high each day. This is his monument to Peace.

He is a small town guy with a big heart, broad shoulders, a wicked sense of humor, dirty hands and a fierce love of his country. He is the poster child for the American Dream. Came from close to nothing, got a job at the local power authority, bought a piece of land, built every structure on the land (the house is made from the trees he cut down), joined the service to give back and put himself thru college at the age of 40. He is in his own right, a rock. A rock that gives hope and helps keep the peace.

And we are grateful to the Peace Rocks that line this planet, human or otherwise.

Imagine all the people living life in Peace - John Lennon

Rock Week - Stone Tools

This is my fire pit, as pathetic as it looks, I've rebuilt it twice since we moved here. The ground keeps shifting, so the rocks keeping leaning. Oh, well, another redo next year.

I love a big bonfire, all glowing orange, red and yellow with little blue flames dancing around the inside. My husband says I must have been an pyromaniac in a previous life! More than likely I was burned at the stake, but no more fear of fire here, just enjoying it this time around. Without our wonderful friends the rocks, I'd be scorching up the lawn and the shed. I assume this is how our ancestors learned that containing the fire with rocks was a smart idea.

Rocks have helped us learn to control this helpful element, fire, what a nice gift. They've also helped us contain the water element too. Wow, what a useful, amazing tool the rock has become. Not to mention the actual 'tools' we've made from rocks. Discoveries we've made about our world and the people before us, we could go on and on. Makes you wonder, we'd probably be SOL without them. Interesting how we learned all these things from what some might call just a 'simple rock'. So as quiet and still as they are, we have still managed to gain great insight from them. Makes you think twice about calling them inanimate objects doesn't it?

Never under estimate the power or knowledge of a Rock and you might want to thank one the next time you trip over it in the Walmart parking lot instead of kicking it aside.

Thank you Rock Gods
(no offense to any musicians who think they are rock gods, with one exception to Bono)

p.s. Graciel has been fishing for rocks all week at Murder Creek, if anyone's interested in where it is and why it's called that, check out this link, it's a local legend here in NY.

http://artvoice.com/issues/v7n43/halloween/murder_creek

Rock Week - Sedona

Sedona Arizona, Rock Freaking Heaven!

These pictures are courtesy of my cousin Ryan and his wife from their vacation 2 years ago. I have been dying to go to Arizona ever since I first saw these rocks back when I was a kid. It's one of those places that you know you just have to get there no matter what. So finally this year on September 30th my cousin and I will be whisking ourselves off to the desert.

The rocks here are supposed have the most amazing energy fields and certain spots have what is known as Vortexes, places of immense energy fields. I have a friend who lived there for many years and has actually stood upon these Vortexes and witnessed the feelings vibrating thru your whole body. I've even heard from folks who don't 'believe' shall we say in such things, own up to the fact that yes, they felt 'something'. I'm sure we've all heard the stories, but I'll have plenty to share when I get back.

I can't wait to put my padded little paws on this hollowed ground and soak up the pure energy of Planet Earth in it's rawest form! Squeal like pig...happy, happy, joy, joy!!

What better way to ground yourself completely, what better way to actually become a piece of Mother Earth. Here, now and forever. Being a part of the planet insures your soul a stake in the future of this Blue Ball and your own existence on it.

Live, breath, touch and be the Earth!

Visit other Rock Freaks at Graciel's place.

Rock Week - Pyramid

This is my own personal Stonehenge. I set it up under my lilac trees when the trees were still skinny and short, now it's mired beneath the over grown tree and barely visible, unless you're looking for it. Not to mention we need a redo on the mulch!

I realized as I was taking this picture how the shape of the rock is a pyramid, which for some reason has escaped me until now. I love pyramids, always have, absolutely fascinated by how they were built, who built them and dear God how did they make those layers? So it's very fitting that my ' Pyramidhenge' is just that. A small little unassuming place of worship in my yard, to worship the wonderful things nature does for us and to invite any Nature Spirits that wish to join together and celebrate.

Foresting for rocks is healing, digging them up, trying to carry your bounty back home, the birds watching you fight the dry hardened earth for that rock you just have to have! Digging your heels and hands into Mother Earth on a quest for the ultimate rock, that's getting grounded, that's getting in touch with yourself and your planet.

Get yourself a bucket, a small spade, some sneakers and find yourself a bundle of rocks just screaming to be your own personal Stonehenge, Pyramid or monument. Get back in touch with the planet and her spirits.

Inspire Me Mondays #5 - Rock Week

The Guardians, that is what I like to call these 2 huge boulders that sit in front of my house. One on each side of the driveway. When we moved here they were sitting quietly in the grass, asleep and bored with their existence. I dug up the weeds and grass and displaced the many mice that had taken up residence there and adorned them with flowers and foliage to bring many a visitor to their sacred space. If these big boys were going to guard the way to my door, the least I could do was to make them feel welcome and a part of the land. They needed to have a purpose other than guardian. So now they serve as the local Bed and Breakfast for the usual flood of ants, spiders, butterflies, grasshoppers, birds, rabbit nests and of course the mice are back! Just about every creature/critter that passes thru my yard has stopped at The Guardian Inn.

These guys were dug up from this very land long ago when the first farm house was built here, I'm sure it took one strong farmer and horses to get them above ground and placed just right. So my thanks goes out to that long deceased farmer for providing me with The Guardians. Rocks are the stability, the glue that holds our big blue planet together, so some respect is long overdue for these fascinating achievements of nature.

Do rocks have a soul? I don't know, but I do believe they have an energy life force distinctly all their own. So don't be so quick to dismiss them. It's been proven that crystals, gemstones and other such rocks can heal, and in order to heal, you must first be able to feel.