Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived; happiness,
sadness, knowledge, and all the others, including love.
One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island was going to
sink to the bottom of the ocean. So all the feelings prepared their boats to
leave.
Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve the island paradise
until the last possible moment. When the island was almost totally under love
decided it was time to leave. She began looking for someone to ask for help.
Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat. Love asked, "Richness,
Can I come with you on your boat?" Richness answered, "I'm sorry, but there
is a lot of silver and gold on my boat and there would be no room for you
anywhere."
Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing in a beautiful
vessel. Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please." "I can't help you", Vanity
said, "You are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat."
Next, Love saw Sadness passing by. Love said, " Sadness, please let me go
with you." Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry, but, I just need to be alone
now."
Then, Love saw Happiness. Love cried out, "Happiness, please take me with
you." But Happiness was so overjoyed that he didn't hear Love calling to him.
Love began to cry. Then, she heard a voice say, "Come Love, I will take you
with me." It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she forgot
to ask the elder his name. When they arrived on land the elder went on his
way. Love realized how much she owed the elder.
Love then found Knowledge and asked, "Who was it that helped me?"
"It was Time", Knowledge answered. "But why did Time help me when no one else
would?", Love asked. Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, he
answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."
DANCING ON A PIN
Gary E. Holland
We had never talked of religion, but we often talked of marriage.
She was an old world princess whose ancestors had been guillotined in the center of Paris. I was a new age fashion designer whose ancestors had been machine-gunned on the outskirts of Cracow. What did we care? We were in love.
Somewhere near the mellow end of a bottle of Beaujolais the bells of the Cathedral of Notre Dame suddenly sounded. And, as if in reply, she said something about the "infinite power of faith."
"Hey," I said from my new age innocence, "one man's religion is the next man's nonsense."
It happened so fast I didn't see it coming. Something slammed hard against my arm then landed belly up before the gaping balcony doors. Her family Bible lay flat on its back opened somewhere between the Old and the New Testament. Its tissue-thin pages flipped and fluttered aimlessly in the summer night's breeze blowing off the river Seine while she cursed me in low French using words I had not yet learned.
I remember laying alone on the sofa that night trying to fall asleep with a throbbing wrist while pondering the surprising force behind those fragile pages filled with all the precious answers for which millions had fought to the death: Is God one, none, or many? Here, there, or nowhere? Who are the righteous? Who are the damned? And how many angels really can dance on the head of a pin?
Next morning we never spoke of religion or marriage again.
ANGEL There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park.
Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad. Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by. She never tried to speak.She never said a word. Many people passed by her, but no one would stop.The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see if the little girl would still be there.
Yes, she was there, right in the! very spot where she was yesterday, and still with the same sad look in her eyes.
Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl. For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone. As I got
closer I could see the back of the little girl's dress was grotesquely shaped.
I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to speak to her. Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different.
As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare. As I approached her, I could see the shape of her back more clearly. She was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form. I smiled to let her know it was OK; I was there to help,to talk. I sat down beside her and opened with a simple, "Hello";
The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a "hi"; after a long stare into my eyes.
I smiled and she shyly smiled back. We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little girl looked at me with a sad face said, "Because, I'm different";I imediately said, "That you are!"; and smiled.
The little girl acted even sadder and said, "I know." "Little girl," I said, "you remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent"; She looked at me and smiled, then slowly she got to her feet and said,?????Really?";
"Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all those people walking by"; She nodded her head yes, and smiled. With that she opened the back of her pink dress and allowed her wings to spread, then she said "I am. I'm your Guardian Angel"; with a twinkle in her eye.
I was speechless -- sure I was seeing things.She said, "For once you thought of someone other than yourself. My job here is done"; I got to my feet and said, "Wait, why did no one stop to help an angel?"
She looked at me, smiled, and said, "Your the only one that could see me"; and then she was gone. |
